As the Food and Drug Administration phases out vitamins A and C on nutrition labels in favor of vitamin D and potassium, Monterey Mushrooms is reminding consumers that mushrooms are a source of vitamin D.
The FDA label information changes take place Jan. 1, according to a news release from Monterey Mushrooms, Watsonville, Calif., which markets vitamin D enriched mushrooms.
The mushrooms, labeled “high in vitamin D,” are exposed to ultraviolet light, giving them more than 50% of the daily recommended value by the FDA, according to the release. Monterey’s high in vitamin D line include all sliced white and baby bella mushrooms in 8-ounce and 16-ounce packages, and 8-ounce portabellas.
““Exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet light is an extra step during the packaging process and it distinguishes us from other growers,” Lindsey Occhipinti, marketing manager, said in the release. “We see it as added value for shoppers, and we hope they will visit our website for recipes that show how easy it is to incorporate vitamin D into their favorite meals.”
Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D. Before exposing them to ultraviolet light, mushrooms have less than 2% of the recommended daily value of vitamin D, according to the release.
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