Tag: Reduced iron

Over a century ago, manufacturers began adding extra nutrients to common foods, and Captain Crunch is no exception. A quick check of its ingredient list reveals the truth: this popular breakfast cereal is indeed fortified with reduced iron.

According to the Vegan Society, reduced iron, also known as Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), is considered a vegan ingredient. Used to fortify common foods like breakfast cereals and flour, this form of iron is not derived from animal products but from mineral sources like iron ore. Its production method is entirely free of animal involvement, making it a safe addition to a vegan diet.

According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies globally, affecting approximately 1.8 billion people. To combat this widespread problem, food manufacturers intentionally add tiny amounts of metallic, or reduced, iron to many processed foods to increase their nutritional value.

Many popular breakfast cereals are fortified with iron to help prevent common deficiencies. Reduced iron in cereal refers to fine, elemental metal particles added for nutritional enrichment. This article explains how this metallic iron is safely processed by your body to deliver this essential mineral.