Cereal fortification is increasingly recognized as an effective approach to improve a population’s micronutrient status.
Cereal products appear best to meet many of criteria for multiple nutrient fortification and to meet all the criteria for fortification with a number of nutrients.
Fortification is not required by the FDA, with the exception of folic acid in grains and vitamin D in milk.
In general the industry fortifies cereal with these important nutrients: vitamin A, B6 and B12, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.
Often the nutrients are found at the 25% of daily recommendations level.
The level of iron fortification at 45 percent US RDA makes hot cereal a better than average source of iron. In general cereal products can be looked upon as good sources of the B vitamin, calcium and iron.
By fortification, it has been shown that ready to eat breakfast cereals cam make significant contribution to intake of several essential trace elements such as iron, zinc, cooper in countries where consumption is high.
Cereal fortification
