A company extracts pectin from apple pomace and adds 3 g per serving to an otherwise refined snack to make a 'high in fiber' claim. Which critical appraisal is most accurate regarding labeling and nutritional implications?

• A. Adding isolated pectin cannot be counted toward total fiber on a label under any regulation, because functional fibers are considered food additives and are excluded from nutrition labeling; therefore the company's 'high in fiber' claim is automatically false.
• B. Because pectin originally came from apples, once re-added it legally must be labeled only as dietary fiber from apples and confers identical benefits to eating whole apples including the same vitamin, mineral and phytochemical content, so the snack is nutritionally equivalent to a piece of fruit.
• C. Since the pectin is an isolated polysaccharide, its only nutritional effect is to replace caloric carbohydrate; it cannot contribute to satiety, cholesterol lowering, or fermentation effects and therefore has no relevant physiological or labeling importance beyond bulking the product.
• D. The added pectin counts as functional fiber and can increase the product's total fiber content for labeling and possibly support a fiber-related health claim, but adding isolated fiber does not fully replicate the nutrient matrix and phytochemicals present in whole apples; consumers should not assume equivalence to whole-food benefits.

Answer: (D)