Trends in Carbohydrate Consumption in the U.S

The trends in carbohydrate consumption in the U.S. had been increasing for almost a decade since 1990. This increase is especially noticed for carbohydrate consumption in form of caloric sweeteners, and refined carbohydrate products. Caloric sweetener consumption as used in sweetening drinks like tea, fruit juice, or sodas; or as used in products like candies, baked goods, and fried flour-based products tremendously increased (almost doubled) between 2000 to 2003. The consumption of refined carbohydrate products like bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals in the U.S. also increased from 1993 to 2003. This increase may have resulted from the fortification of bread and cereals with vitamins and minerals, which caused a lot of consumers, especially women of child-bearing age, to increase their intake of these fortified high carbohydrate foods.

Furthermore, the advice by the USDA within that period for consumers to decrease their total lipid intake, led to a colloquial idea that carbohydrate intake could be increased without causing much harm. The consumers believed that "if fats are bad, then carbs are good". The information sent out by the USDA food pyramid of 1990 only helped to make matters worse. This pyramid featured high carbohydrate foods at its base and encouraged the average consumer to consume at least 5-6 servings of carbohydrate rich foods. Food industries and manufacturers were not left out of the "fat is bad" hit. Efforts were made to compensate for deceasing fat content in processed foods, by increasing their total sugar content. This was done in a bid to maintain good taste and functional properties as well as consumer appeal in food products.

In recent times (within the last few years) however, the use of calorie reduced sweeteners in food product formulation has been received as a saving grace to the "too much sugar situation". Many food manufacturers, formulators and consumers have embraced these non-caloric and reduced-caloric sweeteners as the means to reducing the high sugar content of most sweet foods. Furthermore recent focus on the use of whole cereal and grains in food product development, and the addition of soluble and insoluble fibers to carbohydrate rich foods, are geared towards improving the nutritional content of foods formerly developed with refined carbohydrate ingredients, thereby making them more healthy for consumption.
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Resistant Starch

Resistant starch has been defined as the fraction of dietary starch that is non-digestible by the body. Modification of native starches with chemical, physical, and enzymatic methods may lead to the formation of indigestible residues. The incomplete digestion and absorption of starch in the body gives rise to the phenomenon of resistant starches, which have physiological functions identical to that of dietary fiber. Characteristics of resistant starches include small particle size, white appearance, bland flavor, customized water holding capacity and gelatinization temperature, good extrusion and film forming properties, and cold water solubility. Resistant starches can also be used to improve appearance, texture, and mouthfeel of baked food products and to formulate low-bulk high-fiber products.
Resistant starch ingredients are making more appearances in white cereal products like bread and pasta.
There are some processing advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of resistant starch during product formulation as well as some benefits of resistant starch to the product manufacturer and consumer alike.
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