Breakfast cereal have been define as “processed grains for human consumption”. The manufacturing of breakfast cereal was one of the earliest commercial applications of extrusion cooking technology and remains one of the most widespread.
The breakfast cereal market has grown since its early beginnings and is now categorized into ready-to-eat cereals (cold cereal) and hot cereals.
Hence the most important raw materials in any breakfast cereal is grain. Most commonly used are corn, wheat, oats, rice and barley. Other ingredients often included in the manufacturing process are salt, sweeteners, flavoring agents, coloring agents, vitamins, minerals and preservatives.
The portions drops well below this in many ready to eat cereals, and less than 50% in presweetened products having nutritive sweeteners )sucrose, or fructose, dextrose, and other corn-based products) as substantial constituents.
Breakfast cereals can be a modest but significant source of protein especially in those products containing protein additives, for which the cereal products are excellent carriers.
1) grains or grain products,
2) sweeteners, caloric or otherwise
3) other flavoring or texturizing macro ingredients
4) micro-ingredients for flavor or color, micro ingredients for nutritional fortification and shelf life preservation.
Breakfast Cereal
