Samyang Corp. debuts crystalline dietary fiber brand Fibernova at US food tech expo

Samyang Corp. announced Tuesday it is showcasing its new crystalline dietary fiber brand, 'Fibernova,' at IFT 2026, the world's largest food technology expo.

IFT 2026 runs Monday through Wednesday in Chicago, drawing more than 1,000 companies from 80 countries. Samyang has participated every year since 2017 to promote its functional food ingredients and technology.

At this year's expo, the company is unveiling Fibernova as the brand name for its crystalline dietary fiber ingredient, Kestose. The name combines "fiber" and "nova" — Latin for new or innovative — to convey the concept of a next-generation dietary fiber ingredient.

Kestose is a type of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and serves as a prebiotic that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. It contains more than 99 percent FOS, making it a high-purity material that, unlike conventional dietary fiber, can be produced in crystalline form. It dissolves naturally in the mouth, making it suitable for powdered beverages as well as products such as chocolate and cream. It delivers about 30 percent of the sweetness of sugar while keeping sugar content to roughly 1 percent.

At the booth, Samyang is offering visitors a powdered electrolyte drink stick containing Fibernova as a tasting sample. The sample is low in sugar, high in dietary fiber and dissolves cleanly without clumping.

The company is also highlighting its custom product development capabilities by combining the strengths of its specialty food ingredients with its AI-based sugar-reduction solution, the 3S (Smart, Simple, Successful) Solution.

The booth also offers tasting samples of pectin gummies made using the 3S Solution. The gummies use the alternative sweetener allulose and the soluble dietary fiber indigestible maltodextrin to reduce sugar content while preserving the texture and flavor characteristic of gummies.

Jung Ji-seok, head of Samyang Corp.'s Food Business Unit, said the company will "continue to strengthen its ability to support customers in developing tailored products based on the 3S Solution and specialty food ingredients, and to respond swiftly to the diverse needs of global food companies."