FDA Approves Kellogg’s Petition to Increase Vitamin D in Fortified Cereals

Thanks to a petition from the Kellogg Company filed over three years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an increase to the fortification levels of vitamin D allowed within the fortified cereal category and now provides fortification of vitamin D in grain-based bars. The approval could lead to further vitamin D fortified cereal innovations in the category and beyond.

“Kellogg fortified cereals and milk have long been a delicious and affordable way to get vitamin D,” said Nigel Hughes, Kellogg Company’s SVP, Global R&D and Innovation, in a press release. “Now, everyday foods, like cereal and grain-based bars, can go even further toward helping people access and consume vitamin D, creating better days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030.”

In a Federal Register notice, the FDA amended the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of vitamin D3 as a nutrient supplement in fortified cereals and grain-based bars. The amendment, which was published on January 5th, allows the addition of up to 560 International Units (IU) of vitamin D per 100 grams of cereal and up to 400 IU per 100 grams in grain-based bars.

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So, why is it important to consume enough vitamin D? The vitamin helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which is essential in keeping bones, muscles and teeth healthy. Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is naturally found in various types of fish, including canned tuna, herring and salmon as well as egg yolks and certain mushrooms.

However, according to a 2016 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, about 40 percent of Europeans are vitamin D deficient and 13 percent are severely deficient. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities, such as osteoporosis, particularly in children, hair loss and muscle weakness.

This isn’t the first time Kellogg’s has increased vitamin D in fortified cereals. In 2011, it became the first cereal company to fortify its range of cereals with 25 percent of daily vitamin D needs. Then in 2018, Kellogg’s increased this content to 50 percent in cereals like Bran Flakes, Coco Pops, Rice Krispies and Special K, among other cereals.

Kellogg’s’ movement for increasing vitamin D in fortified cereals and grain-based bars is part of its Better Days environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, which seeks to ”advance sustainable and equitable access to food by addressing the intersection of wellbeing, hunger, sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion for 3 billion people by the end of 2030,” according to its website. 

Beyond the fortification of current offerings, Kellogg’s also recently committed to incorporating NaviLens technology into the packaging of four of its cereals — Corn Flakes, Crispix, Rice Krispies and Special K Original — which will help empower blind consumers. These cereal boxes will feature a smart code comprising high-contrast colorful squares on a black background that can be detected and read by the NaviLens app.