The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a rule change that permits cheese manufacturers to fortify most cheese and cheese products with vitamin D3 at a higher level than previously allowed. Enhancing cheese with the new allowable amount of vitamin D3 permits many of these products to claim an “excellent” source of vitamin D on the label.
Products covered by the regulation change are natural cheese, process cheese, cream cheese, and cheese spreads and dips. Cheeses not included are hard-grating cheeses with smaller reference amounts, such as Parmesan and Romano, and cheeses with larger reference amounts, such as cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.
Prior to the vitamin D rule change, milk products (including cheese and cheese products) could be fortified with vitamin D at levels up to 89 international units (IUs) per 100 grams. Under the new rule published in the Federal Register Nov. 16, 2005, the maximum amount of vitamin D permitted in certain natural and processed cheeses has been raised to 81 IUs of vitamin D3 per 30 grams, or nearly three times the former level.
The new standard permits processors to add vitamin D to a level just slightly above 20% of the Daily Value (DV). A product containing 10% to 19% of the DV of a nutrient per reference serving can claim on the label that it is a “good source” of the nutrient. A product containing 20% or more of the DV of a nutrient per reference serving is considered an “excellent source.”
Although vitamin D is important to good health, few Americans consume the recommended amounts. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has identified vitamin D as a “shortfall” vitamin in the elderly, persons with dark skin and persons exposed to insufficient UVB radiation on the grounds that these groups are at risk of being unable to maintain adequate vitamin D status. The current recommended intake of vitamin D is 200 IUs up to age 50, 400 IUs between the ages of 51 and 70, and 600 IUs after age 70. However, high-risk groups and possibly others may need substantially more than the current recommended intakes. Vitamin D is important to health because it helps the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans consume three servings each day of lowfat or fat-free milk and milk products to boost intake of essential nutrients the body needs for good health, including calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A and D. Milk is typically fortified with vitamin D and also with vitamin A in lower-fat varieties.
The new FDA rule allowing for higher levels of vitamin D fortification in cheese and cheese products has given the dairy industry a viable option for further improving the nutritional status of its consumers, both young and old.