Danish health officials yesterday banned the cereal company Kellogg's from adding vitamins and minerals to its famous food brands, saying they could damage the health of children and pregnant women.

The company, which expressed incredulity at the decision, had hoped to enrich 18 breakfast foods and cereal bars with iron, calcium, vitamin B6 and folic acid, just as they already do in many countries including Britain.

But the Danes said the manufacturer of Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and Special K wanted to include "toxic" doses which, if eaten regularly, could damage children's livers and kidneys and harm foetuses in pregnant women.

Paolo Drotsby, of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, said: "We have turned down applications for a number of enriched products which will have toxic effects in the doses Kellogg's uses".

The rejection was delivered last month after a government laboratory conducted a scientific examination of ingredient lists provided by the company.

The company retorted that it had been adding vitamins and nutrients to products since the 1930s and that its products enriched by other ingredients would remain on sale.

Unlike many other countries, Denmark does not have recommended daily allowances of nutrients.

Chris Wermann, director of corporate affairs for Kellogg's in Europe, said: "Most of us are a bit incredulous."

The extra B6 and folic acid accounted for a quarter of a person's daily allowance, and the calcium and iron just 17%, he said.

"It is quite clear from nutritionists that diets around the globe are deficient in vitamins and minerals. We are quite worried about the Danish authorities challenging this. We don't believe there is any danger at all. There is every reason for people to have these."

He added that details of added ingredients were labelled clearly on products and were well within recognised international guidelines.

Mr Wermann said: "The Danish diet is pretty frugal or austere at the best of times. They are protective of their diet. Equally the government is working in their country to take extra vitamins and minerals in their diets. We are not too sure where they are coming from on this one."

The company is planning to have further discussions with the Danish authorities.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK said: "We are advising people to continue to eat breakfast cereals as part of a healthy balanced diet. Our dietary surveys show people's diets in the United Kingdom, which include fortified breakfast cereals and snacks, are well below the recommended maximum level of vitamins and minerals."