TOTAL DIETARY FIBER CONTENTS IN VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND BERRIES CONSUMED IN FINLAND

Total dietary fibre (TDF) contents of the major vegetables, fruits and berries commonly consumed in Finland were determined. The soluble (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) fractions of bilberry and lingonberry were determined separately. All analyses were performed by the enzymic-gravimetric method of Asp el al (1983) J Agric Food Chem 31 476-482, upon which the official AOAC established method is also based. Considerable variation was found in the TDF contents of fruits, vegetables and berries. However, the mean TDF contents of domestic and imported vegetables and berries were nearly equal. On the other hand, the TDF contents of domestic and imported apple varieties differed significantly, with Finnish apples having the highest TDF contents. The IDF and SDF contents of bilberry were 19-32 and 4-11 and those of lingonberry 19-24 and 4-5 g kg-1 FW, respectively. The average intake of dietary fibre obtained from fresh vegetables, fruits and berries in Finland was estimated to be 5-6 g day-1, contributing to approximately 18% of the entire population's TDF intake.