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Comfy and Healthy Trends Power the Breakfast Cereal Market 2

Magnetic Separation and Metal Detection for Cereal Processors 5

Special RepORT

Comfy and Healthy Trends Power the Breakfast Cereal MarketThose twin trends, effects of the pandemic, are keeping the category interesting and growing.

By Food Processing

p Long ago, breakfast cereal was considered kids’ food. It was easy to serve, tasted good and filled little stomachs quickly. Then cereal got serious. Granola, bran flakes and other better-for-you options started taking up space on supermarket shelves, and even children’s favorites started cutting sugar and chemical food colorings.

With that trend in mind, how does one explain Kellogg’s Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies Cereal? In December, Kellogg partnered with McKee Foods to create a cereal described in press material as “crispy oatmeal cookie flavored cereal pieces made with cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of molasses feature[ing] a sweet, creme-y coating reminiscent of those delightful pies, so each bite delivers the flavor of your favorite childhood snack.”

The Little Debbie cereal shows that comfort foods are in demand during the COVID era. As people hunkered down in their homes and grew bored with routine,

their consumption habits veered toward sweets and carbs. Cereal that tastes like snack cakes? Gobble it up!

The Little Debbie cereal is just one of many fun, sweet break-fast cereals hitting the market since COVID struck. But that’s only part of the story: In reality, COVID also has accelerated the trend towards healthy cereal, because health is on everyone’s mind. That means twin trends, seemingly opposing, are driving the breakfast cereal market today.

COMFORT DURING

THE PANDEMIC

A recent study from the Grain Foods Foundation (grainfoods-foundation.org) showed that grain-based foods have been the consumer choice for comfort food during the pandemic. The study did not specifically focus on breakfast cereal, but the results were clear: Consumers have pre-ferred a carb-heavy breakfast diet such as ready-to-eat cereal during COVID.

“The study was really interesting to us because it helped us wrap our heads around the role of comfort foods with the onset of COVID,” says Christine Cochran, execu-tive director of the Grain Foods Foundation. “As more and more Americans have stayed home, breakfast takes on more impor-tance. So there’s less reaching for the bar and more for the bowl.

“We’ve seen increased cereal sales and we’ve seen more inno-vation, especially from companies like Kellogg’s and General Mills, whether it’s diet-specific, like keto-friendly, or more nostalgic trends. It all goes to this point of convenient food loaded with nutri-tion. You have a powerful mix of nutrition, nostalgia, comfort and affordability all in one bowl.”

Kellogg didn’t stop at Little Debbie Creme Pies when creat-ing new lines – in February the company added Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies cereal. And of course, Little Debbie isn’t the only childhood icon being drafted for service in ready-to-eat cereals that

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fit Cochran’s description of mixing nostalgia and comfort.

Consider Sesame Street Cereal, launched by General Mills in January. The cereal comes in two varieties – berry flavor with numer-al-shaped pieces and cinnamon flavor with letter-shaped pieces – and features bilingual short sto-ries on special flaps on the back of the box. Naturally, the company touts the product as educational, but parents who grew up watching Elmo and Cookie Monster frolic on that famous city block will enjoy the memories.

“We are thrilled to team up with Sesame Street to launch cereals with key nutrients, deli-cious flavors and playful learning opportunities to make breakfast that much more meaningful for parents and kids alike,” said Hil-lary Balma, senior brand manager, General Mills. “We know that breakfast can be challenging for

parents who are struggling to find foods that offer both the nutrition and the fun flavors kids want.”

Another example of cereal innovation (if you can call it that) is Kellogg’s limited-edition Mash-Ups cereal, which combines Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops. The product, released in June 2020, evidently appeals to cereal eaters who can’t make up their mind.

“Kellogg’s is always looking to innovate and deliver new experi-ences that our cereal fans desire,” said Erin Storm, senior marketing director of Kellogg All Family Cereal. “As almost half of cereal lovers mix cereals together, we wanted to make this two-in-one breakfast experience even easier.”

INNOVATION IN

HEALTHFULNESS

The cozy, nostalgic movement might be grabbing headlines in the cereal world these days, but health

is not being ignored. In fact, a study of Amazon search behav-ior of key cereal terms by Label Insight (www.labelinsight.com) found an intriguing mix of fun-re-lated and health-related results.

On the fun side of the equa-tion, the Label Insight study found that searches for breakfast cereal with coconut ingredients or flavors jumped by 185% from the second to third quarters of 2020, and searches for cereal with blueberry flavor climbed 83%. Regarding healthy cereal, searches for high-protein cereal climbed by 77% and searches for sugar-free cereal jumped 44%.

Some clever companies are mixing those trends. Consider OffLimits (www.eatofflimits.com), which launched two cereals in July 2020: Dash and Zombie. Dash is a puffed rice cereal that contains coffee extract and Intel-ligentsia-brand ground coffee;

RECENT CEREAL LAUNCHES RUN THE GAMUT FROM CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA TO THE MIXING OF TWO OLD FAVORITES TO ADULT-ORIENTED INGREDIENTS.

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consequently, Dash eaters can enjoy a bowl of cold brew coffee once they finish the cereal.

Zombie is made of organic oat, rice and coconut flour and flavored with vanilla and pandan, a plant from Southeast Asia often used to flavor desserts. The company doesn’t brag about the healthiness of its cereals, but a quick scan of the ingredient panels reveals lots of organic ingredients and zero unpronounceable chemi-cal additives.

The OffLimits brand, whose motto is “break the rules, starting with breakfast,” was founded by food writer Emily Elyse Miller. “All the fun cereals were ‘off limits’ to me growing up,” Miller says. “Not just because of high sugar but also artificial colors and ingredients. The market was beg-ging for a playful brand to unite the worlds of fun, flavor and good-for-you ingredients. That’s where OffLimits comes in.”

Miller, who is the author of “Breakfast: A Cookbook,” says her food background helped her when she developed the flavors

and sourced the ingredients, but she still encountered challenges getting started: “The high MOQs [minimum order quantities] of manufacturing and lack of new brands in the space create a difficult environment for small startups to break through.”

There are other small cereal companies that focus even more directly on creating healthy cereal. For example, tiny Three Wishes Cereal (threewishescereal.com) launched two new varieties in 2020/21 – Cocoa and Fruity. Like the company’s other three varieties, these are grain-free, so they are suit-able for gluten-intolerant consumers. They also are vegan, kosher, pea-nut-free, low-fat and high-protein. Good for you and safe.

Another small innovator is Magic Spoon (magicspoon.com). The company, launched in 2019, offers Peanut Butter, Frosted, Cocoa and Fruity varieties, all with way more protein and way fewer carbs than comparable big-brand cereals. They also have zero sugar and are grain- and gluten-free.

Many larger companies also create better-for-you cereals, of course. For example, Kashi, a Kellogg brand, recently launched Kashi Go Keto-Friendly Cereal, which is grain-free and features 12g of plant-based protein and just 1g of sugar. It uses monk fruit for sweetness and pumps up the fiber content with chicory root fiber.

U.S. national survey data from 2001-2012 found that breakfast cereals are one of the

top two biggest sources of whole grains in the diet for both kids and adults

MAGIC SPOON USES FAMILIAR FLAVORS AND SHAPES BUT WITH MORE PROTEIN AND FEWER CARBS.

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Grain-free has been a trend over the past few years, but not all manufacturers eschew grains. Some brands are striving to make the most of grains in their cereal by incorporating whole grains instead of processed grains.

For example, Kellogg launched three whole-grain cereals in 2020: Frosted Mini-Wheats Cinna-mon Roll, Special K Blueberry and Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey. Whole-grain wheat fea-tures prominently in the first two and whole-grain oats in the Raisin Bran. It might be a stretch to call these sweetened cereals “healthy,” but the use of whole grains is noteworthy.

“Breakfast cereals are an import-ant contributor of whole grains in the U.S. diet,” says Kelly Toups, director of nutrition for the Oldways Whole Grains Council (wholegrain-scouncil.org). “U.S. national survey data from 2001-2012 found that breakfast cereals are one of the top two biggest sources of whole grains in the diet for both kids and adults.

“Although some snack foods or cereals might be fortified with added vitamins or have isolated fibers added to them,” Toups con-tinues, “by instead choosing foods made with whole grains, [consum-ers] are getting the full benefits that whole grains have to offer, including not just fiber, but also important

minerals, phytochemicals and other healthy plant compounds.”

It’s no surprise that companies are wrestling for space on the breakfast table. The Global Breakfast Cereals Industry report, released in July 2020, predicted worldwide sales of cereal of nearly $41 billion in 2020, growing to nearly $50 billion by 2027. The U.S. accounts for about a quarter of the world’s consumption.

With that kind of money at play, cereal manufacturers will not slow in their quest to meet consumer desires. The twin trends of fun/innovative cereals and healthy cereals will most likely continue. After all, fun and health never go out of style. p

Magnetic Separation and Metal Detection for Cereal Processors

By Bunting Magnetics

p Metal contamination in cereal products poses a significant risk to manufacturers and consumers. If metal contamination is present in a final cereal product, a consumer may be harmed, and the manufacturer’s brand reputation will be signifi-cantly harmed as well. Additionally, metal contamination can cause extensive damage to other equip-ment in a facility if it is allowed to

remain in cereal throughout the manufacturing process.

To achieve optimal removal of metal contamination, it is rec-ommended that food processors install a comprehensive system that incorporates magnetic separation as well as metal detection. Magnetic separation removes ferrous metal contaminants, while metal detectors are able to detect and remove ferrous,

non-ferrous, and stainless steel metal contaminants. Certain magnetic separation and metal detection equipment is best installed at differ-ent key points in the processing line to provide maximum protection of equipment and reduce downtime.

HEAVY DUTY GRATE MAGNET

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When processing raw bulk grain material for use in cereal products, magnetic separation must be intro-duced at the earliest stage possible. As raw bulk grain material enters a plant from a truck or rail car, there is a high likelihood that there is metal contamination hidden within it. The contamination is typically ferrous metal, originating from machinery or stray nuts, bolts, etc., that may have broken off or other- wise entered the raw material. If material is being unloaded from a vehicle by a gravity free-fall mech-anism, a heavy-duty grate magnet may be placed directly where mate-rial is being unloaded. If material is being pneumatically conveyed, a pneumatic inline magnet and a pneumatic metal detector may be placed at the equivalent earliest stage in transport.

After material enters a facility, it is conveyed to large incoming storage bins. To prevent metal contamination from entering these storage sites, a hump magnet or drum magnet may be placed directly prior to the entrance of these stor-age units. These large, heavy-duty magnetic separators are excellent for flowing high volume product. Hump magnets are uniquely ben-eficial because they are designed to break up material as it flows through the chute and over the plate magnet housed within, reducing the problem of bridging, choking, and build up. Drum magnets allow

material to flow over the rotating face of the drum, which helps to dislodge non-metallic product from the magnetic materials being extracted. Gravity free fall metal detectors, particularly cowbell style metal detectors, are also suitable for installation at this point and will be able to detect and remove ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel contamination.

Installing magnetic separation equipment at this point is critical, as bulk metal contamination not removed at this early stage in the process can cause severe damage to other equipment in a process-ing facility. Bulk materials such as flour, oats, or other grains are processed through a sifter shortly after they arrive in a facility so that debris such as stones, twigs, and other large items are removed while smaller sized cereal grains pass through screens unhindered. While screens and sieves may capture large pieces of metal contamina-tion, smaller metal particles will easily pass through the fine mesh of the screen. Large metal pieces also have the potential to cause metal-on-metal wear and abrasion to the screens or sieves, causing them to deteriorate and their parts to break off. Installing a magnetic separator prior to the sifting step signifi-cantly reduces the risk of damage to your screens.QUICKTRON 05 COWBELL

HUMP AND DRUM MAGNETS

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After raw materials have been initially processed and brought into the plant, the process to turn them into a cereal product begins. The most common method used in this process is extrusion, which forces soft blended ingredients through an opening with a perforated plate or die that produces the correct shape. The product then goes on to be cut by blades to a specific size.

The first step in the extrusion process is for raw materials to be ground down to an appropriate particle size, typically similar to a coarse flour consistency. Before

material is allowed to pass through a grinder, it is important that it first passes through a magnetic separator or metal detector, as any hidden metal contamination in the raw material can damage the grinder. A grinder coming into contact with metal contamination risks damage as metal-on-metal wear occurs between the grinder and the con-taminant metal fragments. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that raw material pass through a magnetic separator or metal detector prior to entering a grinder.

Once material has been ground, it enters the extruder where the cooking process takes place. Once material has been cooked within the extruder, it is forced outwards through the die by the extruder’s rotating screw. This die is respon-sible for creating the shape of the cereal product. If metal contami-nation remains present in material that has entered an extruder, there is the risk that contaminant particles will damage the die of the extruder. If the die comes into contact with metal contamination, it can become damaged and continuously degrade

over time, leading to additional metal contamination entering cereal as it is extruded. This leads to a compromised product shape, an interruption to the process, and a risk for continued damage down the line.

After being extruded, material will then be cut into the desired size. If metal contamination is pres-ent in the extruded material, this contamination can damage the cut-ting blade and, again, lead to more metal contamination continuously entering the product.

Metal contamination may also enter a cereal product from other ingredients. Common ingredients added to cereal mixtures include nuts and dried fruits, and both possess similar risks of encountering con-tamination. Additional ingredients must be subject to the same stan-dards of rigorous metal contaminant removal as base grain ingredients.

As you can see, a failure to remove metal contamination at even a single critical point leads to a domino effect that results in greater and greater amounts of metal con-tamination entering a processing

system. This ultimately results in extensive damage to equipment, profit and productivity lost as a result of downtime, and damage to a manufacturer’s brand name and rep-utation should a customer consume a contaminated product.

Placing magnetic separation and metal detection equipment must occur at the most critical process points. For the most rigorous standard of metal contaminant removal, it is best to place magnetic separators and metal detectors before and after key processing

After raw materials have been initially processed and brought into the plant, the process to

turn them into a cereal product begins.

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equipment such as extruders. Magnetic separators are most critical early on in the process, as they excel at removing the ferrous contamination most associated with ingredients that have not yet undergone extensive processing. Metal detectors are highly valuable due to their ability to detect stain-less steel, which is a predominant material used in food processing equipment. Installing magnetic separators and metal detectors at multiple points in a processing line not only removes contamina-tion, but can also provide valuable insight to places in a processing line where equipment may be dete-riorating or failing.

Magnetic separation and metal detection equipment is typically unobtrusive, and integrates easily into an existing process line. Select-ing equipment depends on various factors, such as whether the other equipment in the facility is primarily constructed of stainless steel metal or ferrous metal. For example, if the majority of a plant’s equipment is stainless steel, metal detectors will be recommended over magnetic separators. Another factor is the retention of good product. Magnetic separators remove only the ferrous metal contamination, with little if any waste of product. Metal detec-tors use a reject mechanism that will reject the contaminant along

with a small amount of good prod-uct. Many companies today install magnetic separators ahead of metal detectors to reduce the amount of good product rejected. Depend-ing on the way material is being conveyed, pneumatic and gravity free-fall magnetic separators and metal detectors are both available for manufacturers to install. p

BUNTING IS a leader in the food process-

ing industry, providing the highest quality of

magnetic separation and metal detection

equipment. The company offers extensive

custom design options for equipment, as

well as comprehensive ongoing customer

support. To learn more, please call 316-

284-2020 or visit buntingmagnetics.com.

Placing magnetic separation and metal detection equipment must occur at

the most critical process points.

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800.835.2526 or 316-284-2020 Newton@BuntingMagnetics.com

BUNTINGMAGNETICS.COM

METAL CONTAMINATION IS NEVER PART OF A BALANCED BREAKFAST.

BUNTINGMAGNETICS.COM

quickTRON™ 05 CowbellHeavy-Duty Grate Magnet Hump Magnet Magnetic Drum Separator Center-Flow Magnet pTRON™ 07 Pneumatic Style Metal Detector

meTRON™ 07 CI Metal Detectorwith DCM Conveyor

Keep metal contamination OUT of your cereals by choosing BUNTING for your magnetic separation and metal detection equipment needs.

Contact us and learn more today.