Iron-fortified food product - Kellogg’s Special K cereal

Iron is an essential mineral for human body. The body needs iron to make hemoglobin in blood which then enables the blood to transport oxygen throughout the body. Besides that, iron also aids in immunity and metabolism regulation. As iron is important in everyday body functions, small deficiency of it can have harmful effects on the body. As micronutrient deficiencies have been found to be one of the most important public health problems, fortified food products could be effective in preventing these problems. For example, many breakfast cereals are fortified with iron, which can be a good way to help the consumer achieve recommended daily value of iron easily.

Breakfast cereal which is a great choice for breakfast and snack are normally fortified with vitamins and minerals. Fortification of widely eaten cereals takes on a special role of improving nutrient intake since some vitamins and minerals are commonly lacking in the diet. In addition, cereals that have been processed from rice, corn or wheat are often lacking important nutrients. Therefore, many manufacturers voluntarily fortify their breakfast cereals products with various vitamins and minerals.

Kellogg’s Special K cereal is a rice and wheat flake cereal that is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. Its high nutritional value makes it a healthy meal replacement. Kellogg's Special K cereal are fortified with ten vitamins and minerals which include vitamin A, vitamin B1 (Thiamin), vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), vitamin B3 (Niacin), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid and iron. Special K cereal contains 165 kilocalories in a 45g serving. In addition, Special K cereal provides 3.7 mg of dietary iron in one cup serving, up to 25 percent of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for iron. The Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for the general population is 14 mg/day. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of iron for an adult woman is 18 mg until the age of 51 and an adult man over 18 years of age should consume 8mg of iron every day.

For extra information, vitamin C will help enhance the absorption of the iron. Therefore, it is recommended to eat fortified breakfast cereal with a glass of Vitamin C-rich drink such as fruit juice. Drinking tea and coffee with iron rich meal should be avoided as the tea and coffee contains tannin which will inhibit the absorption of iron in the body.