COOKED CEREAL DOUGH PRODUCTS FORTIFIED WITH CALCIUM AND METHOD OF PREPARATION

Cooked cereal dough products are provided that are fortified with at least a 0.65 % calcium (dry weight basis) at least a major portion of which is supplied by calcium phosphate salts having a median particle size of 2 to 15 .mu.m. Dried cereal finished products such as Ready-to-Eat breakfast cereals are fabricated from cooked cereal doughs that can comprise even lightly colored cereal materials such as rice and/or corn (maize) and minor levels o f other conventional cereal ingredients and calcium phosphate. Methods for preparing such calcium fortified cooked cereal compositions and dried cereal finished food products essentially comprise: (a) providing a calcium fortifi ed cooked cereal dough or mass containing at least 0.65 % calcium (dry weight basis) at least a portion of which is supplied by calcium phosphate; (b) forming the lightly colored calcium fortified cereal dough into pieces; and (c) drying the pieces to form the present rice based finished food products fortified with high levels of calcium. Preferred are puffed RTE cereal piece s prepared by direct expansion from a twin screw cooker extruder.