Breakfast Cereal Flakes Research Articles

High nutritional value instant flakes produced from various cereal grains

The current study was carried out to prepare functional flakes from various cereals and to assess the nutritional value of breakfast cereal flakes and their sensory acceptability. Oat, soft wheat and durum wheat, barley (hull-less and hulled), triticale, millet and sorghum grains have been used. Physicochemical, functional, phytochemical properties and sensory evaluation were determined. The developed cereal flakes have high nutritional value and are high in dietary fiber. Concerning the overall acceptability of flakes, durum wheat, hull-less barley and triticale were more preferred than the other samples. Meanwhile, hulled barley and millet flakes showed the lowest scores compared with other flake samples due to the lowest score of their appearance and color. Triticale, durum wheat and hulled barley turned to be good alternatives for oat to prepare flakes of high-quality characteristics, as they have high protein (13.46, 11.92 and 11.67%, respectively) and ash contents along with low content of fat and low calories. In terms of nutritional quality, the results indicated that oat flakes were higher in Mg and P content, durum wheat flakes showed higher content of Mn, triticale had the highest content of K and Ca, and millet had the highest content of Zn and Fe. Triticale flakes showed significantly higher content of dietary fiber and water absorption index at room and hot temperatures when compared with other flakes. While comparing total phenolic content, the millet and barley flakes showed the highest values. Additionally, most flake samples had significantly higher values of antioxidant activity compared to oat flakes used as control samples.

Micronutrient and amino acid profile of breakfast cereal flakes from germinated brown rice (Oryza sativa), aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera) and germinated black turtle bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

AbstractBackgroundBreakfast cereal flakes are currently one of the main components of a breakfast meal in many households and are gaining much research attention due to their convenience, good taste, and ease‐in‐preparation. Flakes production from germinated brown rice ([GBR] Oryza sativa), aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera), and germinated black turtle bean ([GTB] Phaseolus vulgaris) flour blends could optimize the use of these local food ingredients; and could serve as a cheap source of nutrients and functional food for disease prevention. This study aimed to produce breakfast flakes from flour blends of GBR, aerial yam, and GTB and to evaluate the micronutrients, antioxidant activity, and protein quality of the flakes produced.ResultsThe results showed that calcium content ranged from 2.20 to 24.93 mg/100 g, phosphorus (11.05–42.34 mg/100 g), iron (0.11–0.18 mg/100 g), copper (0.82–1.19 mg/100 g), potassium (550.58–1037.10 mg/100 g), zinc (3.87–4.39 mg/100 g) and magnesium (104.16–122.90 mg/100 g). The vitamin contents of the flakes showed that pro‐vitamin A ranged from 2.07 to 4.30 mg/100 g, vitamin B1 (2.00–3.95 mg/100 g), B3 (1.56–3.98 mg/100 g), and B6 (1.40–3.85 mg/100 g), essential amino acid index (72%–90%), protein efficiency ratio (1.74–3.07), and biological value (71%–86%). The flakes had a good yield of amino acids, with leucine being the highest (5.80–8.55 g/100 g) concentrated essential amino acid; while glutamic acid was the highest (10.38–13.59 g/100 g) concentrated among non‐essential amino acids.ConclusionProduction of breakfast cereal flakes from GBR, aerial yam, and GTB composite flours could serve as a cheap source of micronutrients and functional food.

Innovatively processed quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) food: chemistry, structure and end-use characteristics.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) flour and processed traditional Peruvian quinoa breakfast foods were studied to evaluate the effect of extrusion and post-processing on protein properties, morphology and nutritional characteristics (amino acids and dietary fibers). The extrusion increased quinoa protein crosslinking and aggregation observed by size exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography and the amount of soluble fibers, as well as decreasing the amounts of insoluble fibers in the processed foods. The post-processing drying resulted in additional crosslinking of large protein fractions in the quinoa products. The microstructure of the extruded quinoa breakfast flakes and heat-post-processed samples studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography differed greatly; post-drying induced formation of aerated protein microstructures in the heat-treated samples. Nanostructures revealed by small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering indicated that extrusion imparted morphological changes in the quinoa protein and starch (dominance of V-type). Overall, extrusion processing only reduced the content of most of the essential amino acids to a minor extent; the content of valine and methionine was reduced to a slightly greater extent, but the final products met the requirements of the Food and Drug Organization. This study presents innovative examples on how extrusion processing and post-processing heat treatment can be used to produce attractive future food alternatives, such as breakfast cereal flakes and porridge powder, from quinoa grains. Extrusion of quinoa flour into Peruvian foods was shown to be mostly impacted by the processing temperature and processing conditions used. Protein crosslinking increased due to extrusion and post-processing heating. Starch crystallinity decreased most when the product was dried after processing. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative study on effects of adding germinated and non‐germinated legumes on bioactive components, antioxidant, textural and sensory characteristics of cereal flakes

AbstractThe objective of this study was to prepare healthy breakfast cereal flakes through addition of selected germinated legumes, namely, lentils (Lens culinaris), green gram (Vigna radiata), and black gram (Vigna mungo). Flakes containing germinated legumes were compared in terms of bioactive compounds, texture, moisture content, and sensory properties with flakes made with non‐germinated legumes. It was observed that flakes made with germinated legumes were higher in polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, and antioxidant activity with a crispier and more desirable texture. Moreover, shelf life was evaluated on the basis of moisture content and sensory characteristics for 90 days. The best flakes in terms of storage were the ones containing germinated legumes as these were low in moisture content even after 90 days of storage, which is essential for extending the shelf life of the product. These germinated legume containing cereal flakes also received higher scores in terms of sensory characteristics. Incorporation of legumes can thus provide a cheap and healthy snack for people of all ages.

Effect of Drum Drying Process on the Physico-Chemical and Antioxidant Activities of Riceberry Flakes

Abstract. Pigmented rice, such as black or red rice, contains several antioxidant compounds. Riceberry rice, which is native to Thailand, is a colored rice variety that is rich in bioactive constituents. With several benefits from the anthocyanin and phenolic compounds in Riceberry rice, value-added products have been developed, for which the physico-chemical and mechanical properties need to be studied. This study evaluated the effects of drum drying parameters on the physico-chemical properties and bioactive compounds of Riceberry flakes. Three drum surface temperatures (130°C, 140°C, and 150°C) and three solids contents of flour slurry (35%, 45%, and 55%) were applied. Lightness (L*) of the flakes significantly decreased (p < 0.05) while redness (a*) increased compared to the flour. Bulk density, hardness, and water solubility index of the flakes increased with increasing drum temperature and solids content. The highest values were found at drum temperature of 150°Cand55% solids content.Major anthocyanins in Riceberry flour and flakes were cyanidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside.Total phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities of Riceberry flakes decreased during drum drying. The highest drum temperature (150°C) and solids content (55%) of flour slurry gave maximum contents of bioactive compounds. Results suggest that Riceberry flakes can be used as a functional ingredient for food products. Keywords: Breakfast cereal flakes, Drum drying, Riceberry rice, Rice flakes.

The impact of pearling as a treatment prior to wheat roller milling on the texture and structure of bran-rich breakfast flakes

While wheat bran has an interesting nutritional profile, its inclusion in food recipes can lead to poor structure and sensory quality of the final product. Here, we studied how outer bran layers affect textural and structural properties of breakfast cereal flakes (containing 20 or 40% regular, aleurone-enriched or reconstituted bran). Aleurone-enriched bran was obtained by removing the outer bran layers by pearling and thereby enriching the bran obtained by subsequent roller milling in aleurone tissue while reconstituted bran was obtained by reconstituting aleurone-enriched bran with pearlings. Flakes containing aleurone-enriched bran were more crispy and maintained better hardness during soaking in milk, especially for 40% bran-rich breakfast flakes, than their regular bran containing counterparts. Inclusion of 40% reconstituted bran in the recipe deteriorated the texture and microstructure. The present work demonstrates that pearling offers bran material that is very suitable as ingredient for producing breakfast flakes with improved textural properties.

Changes on image texture features of breakfast flakes cereals during water absorption

Normally breakfast cereal flakes are consumed by pouring them into a bowl and covering them with fresh or cold milk. During this process the liquid uptake causes changes in the surface and internal matrix of breakfast cereals that influence texture and integrity. Some breakfast cereal as flakes have a translucent structure that could provide information about the solid matrix and air cells and how they change during liquid absorption. The objective of the study was to assess the image texture changes of corn flakes and frosted flakes during water absorption at 5, 15 and 25 °C, employing 11 image feature textures extracted from grey-level co-occurrence matrix and grey-level run length matrix (at three directions) and to relate the fractal dimension (FD) of images with rupture force (RF) reduction during soaking of both flakes at 5 °C. The most relevant result from principal component analysis calculated with a matrix of 54 (soaking times) × 22 (texture features), shows that it was possible to distinguish an isolated group consisting of different soaking times at the same water temperature in each breakfast cereal flakes evaluated, corroborating that superficial liquid imbibition is important during the liquid absorption process when flakes are soaked. Furthermore, standardized FD could be related to RF in the period when samples tend to search for an equilibrium state.

Application of Enzyme‐Treated Corn Starches in Breakfast Cereal Coating

Presently ready-to-eat cereals are coated with high levels of sugar coating to extend the bowl life. Because of health concerns of added sugar, there is a need to identify alternative coating materials. This study was designed to test the efficacy of debranched corn starches with varying amylose contents as a cereal coating. Hylon VII (70% amylose), common, and waxy corn starches were gelatinized and debranched, and then sprayed onto ready-to-eat breakfast cereal flakes. The surface morphology, milk absorption, texture, and digestibility of coated cereals were determined. A starch film with a thickness of 50 to 130 μm was observed with scanning electron microscopy on the surface of the cereals coated with Hylon VII. All starch-coated cereals had a lower milk absorption value than the uncoated and glucose-coated controls. Among starch coatings, common corn starch and Hylon VII resulted in lower milk absorption than did waxy corn starch. After soaking in milk for 3 min, the peak force and work to peak of the cereals coated with corn starches were higher than those of the glucose control and uncoated reference. The cereals coated with Hylon VII were found to have an increase in dietary fiber content. The results suggest that debranched amylose-containing corn starches could extend the bowl-life of ready-to-eat cereals. Currently, many cereals are coated with sugar to keep them from becoming soggy in milk. However, added sugar has been linked to obesity, hyperactivity, and dental caries. This has led to the investigation of alternative coating materials. This study employed the film-forming properties of enzyme-treated corn starch to function as a coating material in breakfast cereal flakes. In addition, the enzyme-treated high amylose corn starch also increased the dietary fiber content of the cereal flakes.

Physical Properties and Microstructural Changes during Soaking of Individual Corn and Quinoa Breakfast Flakes

The importance of breakfast cereal flakes (BCF) in Western diets deserves an understanding of changes in their mechanical properties and microstructure that occur during soaking in a liquid (that is, milk or water) prior to consumption. The maximum rupture force (RF) of 2 types of breakfast flaked products (BFP)--corn flakes (CF) and quinoa flakes (QF)--were measured directly while immersed in milk with 2% of fat content (milk 2%) or distilled water for different periods of time between 5 and 300 s. Under similar soaking conditions, QF presented higher RF values than CF. Soaked flakes were freeze-dried and their cross section and surface examined by scanning electron microscopy. Three consecutive periods (fast, gradual, and slow reduction of RF) were associated with changes in the microstructure of flakes. These changes were more pronounced in distilled water than in milk 2%, probably because the fat and other solids in milk become deposited on the flakes' surface hindering liquid infiltration. Structural and textural modifications were primarily ascribable to the plasticizing effect of water that softened the carbohydrate/protein matrix, inducing partial collapse of the porous structure and eventually disintegration of the whole piece through deep cracks.

Uptake of Tritiated Liquids by Individual Breakfast Cereal Flakes

Surface liquid adhesion (SLA) and liquid absorption (LA) of tritiated liquids, including water and skim, low-fat, whole, and fat-enriched milks, by cornflakes (CF) and frosted flakes (FF) were determined by scintillation counting using water-[(3)H] at 0.5 microCi/mL. SLA or the liquid adhering to individual flakes after a short immersion period was the same for CF and FF in the case of water (approximately 0.011 microL mm(-2) of flake) but were always higher for CF than for FF and increased as the fat content in milks augmented. LA of individual flakes, followed for 300 s of soaking, increased with time and was always higher for CF than for FF (for the same liquid), however, data did not follow a regular pattern. Flakes showed quite compact outer surfaces and an internal porous matrix composed of air cells of various sizes separated by dense walls of different thicknesses. This heterogeneous microstructure of individual flakes may be the cause of the lack of a simple kinetics during the soaking process. Previous results obtained by soaking a mass of flakes overestimated the uptake of fluid by individual because they included the liquid occluded between the flakes.

Influence of Sodium Chloride on Color Development of Cereal Model Systems Through Changes in Glass Transition Temperature and Water Retention

ABSTRACTResearch efforts aim to enhance fundamental understanding about the role of salt in cereal products. Such knowledge may open new strategies for salt reduction in respective product categories. A model system, containing pregelatinized starch, glucose, and amino acids heated at 230°C for up to 10 min demonstrated that NaCl leads to darker products compared with the same model heated without NaCl (P < 0.05). The same trend was observed in wheat breakfast cereal flakes toasted at 230°C. The present study investigated two hypotheses how salt may influence color formation through Maillard Reaction: 1) hygroscopic behavior of salt may change the retention of water during heating and encourage Maillard reactions by improving mobility of reactants; 2) salt has a plasticizing effect and the presence of salt might keep the product in a rubbery state longer while heating, hence improving mobility and Maillard reactions of reactants. The same models (pregelatinized starch, glucose, and amino acids) mixed with several types of plasticizers (NaCl, KCl, or trehalose) and a blank without plasticizer were made and heat‐treated under controlled conditions. The presence of plasticizers always led to darker products but no correlation was found between color formation, the hygroscopic behavior of the system, and its glass transition temperature as measured by phase transition analyzer.

THE SECURITY OF TRADING TRANSACTIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF CEREAL PARTNERS POLAND TORUŃ-PACIFIC SP. Z O.O.

Having in the firm’s portfolio excellent products offered at prices acceptable to customers - is not a sufficient factor guaranteeing the achievement of economic success in the Polish realities of free market. Neither a sufficient condition is the access to modern technologies. Necessary is to arrange such an organisation of the whole system of sales, distribution, and collection of dues, so as to secure running by the firm its trading transactions in a safe way, and assuring the inflow of dues to the account of entity selling the products. On the example Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific, manufacturer of breakfast cereal products, there is presented the way in which a firm may build an effective system of running securely the sales of its products. The article introduces into the issues related to the manufacture and distribution of food products in Poland (in this case the breakfast cereal flakes), in order to describe the mechanisms of preparing, running, and controlling the trading transactions, realised by the firm, basing on the legal possibilities and instruments arising from the currently binding regulations of Polish law, regulating the business activity. Author of the article is the multi-year President of company, who has been managing it since its privatisation i.e. since the year of 1990.

Use of Partially Defatted Peanut Flour in Breakfast Cereal Flakes

ABSTRACTExtruded breakfast cereal flakes were made by replacing corn cones with nonroasted partially defatted peanut flour (PDPF) and roasted partially defatted peanut flour (R‐PDPF) at various levels (10, 20, and 30%). The mixtures were extruded using a corotating twin‐screw extruder to produce collets. The collets were flaked and then toasted. The extruded toasted flakes were analyzed for physical, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics. Moisture content, bulk density, hardness (force to break), color, bowl life, water absorption, and water solubility indices were significantly affected by the amount of PDPF and R‐PDPF added in the formulation. A sensory panel found extruded toasted flakes made from corn cones and up to 20% R‐PDPF were acceptable as control. Peanut flavor intensity was also evaluated. Surprisingly, peanut flavor intensity was the highest for flakes containing 30% PDPF, rather than those containing 30%R‐PDPF.

ASSESSMENT OF A PIN DEFORMATION TEST FOR MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BREAKFAST CEREAL FLAKES

ABSTRACTA pin deformation test is assessed for the measurement of the mechanical properties of breakfast cereal flakes where well‐defined procedures like the three point bend test are not easily carried out. These properties are compared with the literature on formed specimens of cereal components, starch polymers and proteins. A classical analysis of a centrally loaded disc on a circular support was used to obtain the Young's modulus, the maximum stress and the maximum strain from the force‐displacement curve. The technique was validated for synthetic polymer discs of known modulus. The Young's modulus for formed discs of starch and gluten as a function of water content agreed reasonably well with independent results using a three point bend test. Formed discs of ground flake showed a similar response to that of gluten. The technique was then applied to individual flakes which were flattened by a hydration‐dehydration procedure and conditioned to different water contents. The stiffness and stress at failure decreased with increasing water content as reported for gluten but their magnitudes were lower, which was attributed to the greater porosity relative to pressed specimens. Some unflattened and low water content flakes were also tested and (although not conforming to the planar geometry of the analysis) showed similarity in stiffness (although not in strength) with their flattened counterparts.

A study of the effects of water content on the compaction behaviour of breakfast cereal flakes

Wheat breakfast flakes were compacted in a cylindrical geometry using two different techniques and the volume measured as a function of applied pressure from 100 Pa to 85 MPa. The effect of water content, in the range 4 to 18% (wet weight basis), on the compaction behaviour of the flakes was examined for pressures from 1 to 85 MPa. The data were analysed using different relationships between density and applied pressure in accordance with Peleg, Kawakita and Heckel. The Heckel deformation stress decreased as the water content increased up to 12% and became inaccurate at 18% water. The Peleg compressibility and Kawakita yield stress only showed a marked decrease from 12 to 18% water. Collectively, these results agree qualitatively with other observations of the decrease in stiffness of single flakes over this water content range.

Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of breakfast cereal flakes and their components

Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of breakfast cereal flakes and their components