The US Food and Drug Administration has ruled that most cheeses can be fortified with enough vitamin D to be eligible to make the labelling claim “excellent source of vitamin D.”
In response to a petition from Kraft Foods, the FDA will allow cheeses to be fortified with up to 81 IU of vitamin D3 per 30-gram serving, an increase of more than 250% over the previous limit, providing 20% of the Daily Value. The decision applies to most cheeses, but specifically excludes cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and hard grating cheeses, such as Parmesan and Romano.