![]()
Danish health officials banned the cereal company Kellogg's from adding vitamins and minerals to its cereals, saying they could damage the health of children and pregnant women. The company, which expressed incredulity at the decision, had hoped to enrich 18 breakfast foods and cereal bars with iron, calcium, vitamin B6 and folic acid, just as they already do in many countries including Britain. But the Danes said the manufacturer of Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and Special K wanted to include "toxic" doses which, if eaten regularly, could damage children's livers and kidneys and harm foetuses in pregnant women. The rejection was delivered after a government laboratory conducted a scientific examination of ingredient lists provided by the company. But vitamin-enriched or not, cereals are not a healthy option for breakfast or any other meal, as these highly processed grains rapidly break down to sugar in the body and stimulate insulin production. Plus, relying on cereal to get your vitamins is simply not healthy--instead you should strive to get them primarily from whole foods.
The Guardian August 12, 2004