How Are Cereals Made?

Some cereals come a long way from their natural state to your cereal bowl.

Quick, filling and generally nutritious, breakfast cereals are a staple of the American diet. While the process of making some popular cereals is relatively simple, others are surprisingly complex and labor-intensive to create.

Types

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, breakfast cereals are divided into two categories: traditional cereals, which require cooking, and ready-to-eat cereals. Almost all traditional cereals are made from oats. Meanwhile, ready-to-eat cereals can be made from oats, farina, rice or corn.

Traditional Cereal Process

In traditional cereals, oats are cleaned of debris, and their hulls, our outer shells, are removed. The edible inner parts of the oats, called groats, are then sorted, dried and steamed for flavor.

Ready-to-Eat Cereal Processes

Go Grains notes that in flaked cereals, whole or milled grains are cooked, dried, heated, rolled into flakes and toasted. In puffed cereals, grains are heated at very high pressure and then quickly released into ambient pressure. The pressure decrease causes moisture in the grain to release suddenly, which puffs up the grain. In shredded cereals, cereal grains are simply cooked, dried and shredded.

Additives

Flavorings--such as salt, sugar and malt extract--and nutrients--such as vitamins and minerals--are usually added to the basic ingredients of breakfast cereals.

References

• EPA: Cereal Breakfast Food
• Go Grains: How Are Breakfast Cereals Made?