A breakfast cereal (or just cereal) is a food made from more or less processed grains often but not always eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk (e.g. cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk) water or yogurt, but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge. Some companies promote their products for the health benefits from eating oat-based and high-fiber cereals. Cereals may be fortified with vitamins. Some cereals are made with high sugar content.
The breakfast cereal industry has gross profit margins of 40-45%, 90% penetration in some markets, and steady and continued growth throughout its history.
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History
Porridge was a traditional food in much of Northern Europe and Russia back to antiquity. Barley was a common grain used, though other grains and yellow peas could be used. In many modern cultures, porridge is still eaten as a breakfast dish.
19th century
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals have their beginnings in the
vegetarian movement in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, which influenced members of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States. The first packaged breakfast cereal,
Granula (named after ) was invented in the
United States in 1863 by
James Caleb Jackson, operator of the Jackson Sanitorium in
Dansville,
New York, and a staunch vegetarian. The cereal never became popular; it was far too inconvenient, as the heavy bran nuggets needed soaking overnight before they were tender enough to eat.
Ferdinand Schumacher, president of the American Cereal Company, created a cereal made from oats; manufacturing took place in Akron, Ohio. Separately, George H. Hoyt created Wheatena circa 1879, during an era when retailers would typically buy cereal (the most popular being cracked wheat, oatmeal, and cerealine) in barrel lots, and scoop it out to sell by the pound to customers. Hoyt, who'd found a distinctive process of preparing wheat for cereal, sold his cereal in boxes, offering consumers a sanitary appeal.
Breakfast cereals, packaged, became considerably more convenient, and, combined with clever marketing, they caught on. In 1877, John Harvey Kellogg, operator of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, invented a biscuit made of ground-up wheat, oat, and cornmeal for his patients suffering from bowel problems. The product was initially also named "Granula", but changed to "Granola" after a lawsuit. His most famous contribution, however, was an accident. After leaving a batch of boiled wheat soaking overnight and rolling it out, Kellogg had created wheat flakes. His brother Will Keith Kellogg later invented corn flakes from a similar method, bought out his brother's share in their business, and went on to found the Kellogg Company in 1906. With his shrewd marketing and advertising, Kellogg's sold their one millionth case after three years.
20th century
In 1902
Force wheat flakes became the first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal introduced into the
United Kingdom. The cereal, and the Sunny Jim character, achieved wide success in Britain, at its peak in 1930 selling 12.5 million packages.
In the 1930s, the first puffed cereal, Kix, went on the market. Beginning after World War II, the big breakfast cereal companies – now including General Mills, who entered the market in 1924 with Wheaties – increasingly started to target children. The flour was refined to remove fiber, which at the time was considered to make digestion and absorption of nutrients difficult, and sugar was added to improve the flavor for children. The new breakfast cereals began to look starkly different from their ancestors. As one example, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, created in 1953, had 56% sugar by weight. Different mascots were introduced, such as the Rice Krispies elves and later pop icons like Tony the Tiger and the Trix Rabbit.
Because of Kellogg and Post, the city of Battle Creek, Michigan is nicknamed the "Cereal Capital of the World".
Processing
Processing is a modification of a grain or mixture of grains usually taking place in a facility remote from the location where the product is processed. This distinguishes "Breakfast cereals" from foods made from grains modified and cooked in the place where they are eaten.
Muesli
Muesli is a breakfast cereal based on uncooked
rolled oats, fruit, and nuts. It was developed around 1900 by the Swiss physician
Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital. It is available in a
packaged dry form such as
Alpen, or it can be made fresh.
Warm cereals
Most warm cereals can be classified as
porridges, in that they consist of cereal grains which are soaked and/or boiled to soften them and make them palatable. Sweeteners, such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, are often added either by the manufacturer, during cooking, or before eating.
National variations
Canada
Common hot cereals in Canada include
oatmeal,
Cream of Wheat and
Red River cereal. These hot cereals are typically served with maple syrup or brown sugar and milk or cream.
Yogurt is a popular addition to Red River cereal.
China
In China, porridges such as
rice congee, or those made with other ingredients (including corn meal or millet) are often eaten for breakfast.
Greece
In Greece,
cornmeal is poured into boiling milk to create a cereal of a thick consistency which is often served to young children. They have cereals such as Chocos, Honey Nut Loops,
Choco Krispies, Frosties,
Smacks, and plenty more.
Russia
In
Russia, a breakfast is
kasha, a porridge of
buckwheat (,
grechka),
farina (,
manna), or other grains. Kasha is found throughout much of
Eastern Europe, including
Poland and
Croatia.
South Africa
Pap is a porridge used in a variety of African meals eaten throughout the day. In other parts of Africa it is known as ugali, sadza, and banku.
Porridge brands unique to South Africa include Jungle Oats and Bokomo Maltabella (made from malted sorghum).
Ireland
In
Ireland, the company White's has been milling oats in
Tandragee since 1841
See also
Cereal box prize
Cerealicious
Farina
Flakes (film)
Grits
List of breakfast cereals
List of breakfast cereal advertising characters
Notes
References
Breakfast Cereals and How They Are Made, Elwood F. Caldwell, American Association of Cereal Chemists, 2000, ISBN 1891127152
Cerealizing America: The Unsweetened Story of American Breakfast Cereal , Scott Bruce, Faber & Faber, 1995, ISBN 0571198511
External links
"The Cereal Project" at MrBreakfast.com; includes A-Z index
The History of Cereal
Category:American inventions
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