General Mills doubles vitamin D in its Big G breakfast cereals portfolio

USA – General Mills, an American multinational manufacturer of processed consumer foods has doubled the vitamin D content in most of its Big G breakfast cereals to provide 20% of the daily recommended amount of the vitamin following an FDA ruling.

The vitamin D fortification follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval earlier this year to increase the amount of vitamin D added to ready-to-eat cereals.

According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cited by General Mills, 96% of Americans aged two and older under-consume the daily recommended amount of vitamin D.

The company revealed that Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cheerios will be the first cereals to feature the vitamin boost, followed later this summer by Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, and Cookie Crisp.

General Mills also confirmed that the full line of vitamin D-fortified cereals will be available nationwide by the end of this year, according to the company.

According to the company, the cereal fortification is being promoted as part of the company’s recent Goodness We Grow Up On campaign, which harkens back to the company’s 20-year-old commitment to keep whole grains as the first ingredient of its cereals.

Ricardo Fernandez, president of US Morning Foods, the breakfast division of General Mills said that General Mills Big G cereals have long been a leader in delivering good nutrition

“We were proud to be the first major company to make whole grain the first ingredient in our Big G cereals recipes nearly 20 years ago, a commitment that stands to this day.”

He added that, with the newly increased vitamin D fortification of these cereals, the company prides on reminding parents of the goodness they grew up on with Big G and how they continue to deliver nutritious options for their families today.

Amy Cohn, registered dietitian and senior nutrition manager at General Mills commenting on the same stated that cereal is one of the few foods that’s consumed across the lifespan and a household staple that can support good nutrition to a large portion of the population.

“Doubling the vitamin D content of our Big G cereals is just another step in our continued commitment to providing affordable, accessible nutrition because we know that breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated or break the bank — and it can be as easy as a beloved bowl of cereal.” 

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