General Mills has announced that it is doubling the content of Vitamin D in many of its Big G breakfast cereals to deliver 20% of the daily recommended amount of the vitamin. The company becomes the first to roll out this important nutrition upgrade in most of its Big G Cereals and is championing the effort in its new Goodness We Grow up On Campaign.
Read: July 2023 Issue of FoodInfotech Magazine.
Even as Vitamin D is essential for the development and maintenance of strong bones, it is often under consumed. 96.1% of all Americans aged 2 years and older haven’t been consuming enough of this key nutrient. This major advancement in nutrition follows approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year to increase levels of Vitamin D fortification in ready-to-eat cereal.
The upgraded Vitamin D content can be found in two products for the time being: Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cheerios. General Mills stated in the announcement that other cereals, such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Cookie Crisp, will hit shelves with the Vitamin D update throughout the summer.
“General Mills Big G Cereals have long been a leader in delivering good nutrition,” stated Ricardo Fernandez, President of U.S. Morning Foods. “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. And with the newly increased Vitamin D fortification of these cereals, we’re proud to remind parents of the goodness they grew up on with Big G and how we continue to deliver nutritious options for their families today.”
Children of the 80s & 90s grew up with Buzz the Bee, Sonny the Cuckoo Bird and Trix the Rabbit delighting and providing delicious, affordable nutrition. To that end, families will see new premium online videos, banner ads, social content and experiential elements throughout the summer – a throwback reminder of the great taste, good nutrition and joy Big G Cereals have delivered for decades. It’s the goodness kids grew up with then and the goodness they’re continuing to grow up on now.
Amy Cohn, Registered Dietitian and Sr. Nutrition Manager at General Mills stated – “Cereal is one of 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.”