Inulin is a soluble fiber produced by many types of plants, including wheat, onion, bananas, garlic, asparagus, sunchoke and chicory. Just like starch, Inulin is a way that is used by these plants to reserve energy. Industrially, it is most often extracted from sunchoke and chicory root. It is a group of polysaccharides that are primarily long chains of fructose with a few glucose units.

Inulin is considered as a functional food ingredients since it can affect physiological and biochemical processes in human beings, resulting in better health and reduction in the risk of many diseases. The soluble fiber is often incorporated into processed foods to add fiber, bulk and a sweet flavor. Inulin can also be used for the preparation of oligofructose and fructose syrups.