Assignment

Business Research
Method

Submitted To:
Dr. Muhammad Nawaz

Submitted By:

Muhammad Saad Majeed

M.COM (Weekend)

2nd Semester
Introduction
Manufacturer of breakfast cereals are likely to make use of marketing research. The chief
reason behind the same is the fact that food segment is continuously changing due to
changing needs and preferences of the customers. In the present day, buyers have become
highly conscious about their health and prefer buying products that offer maximum benefits
to them. Marketing research is important for the company to understand prevailing market
trends, competitors strategies and customer preferences. Moreover, the food segment is
highly competitive with large number of large and small companies offering similar prices.
As a result, the company needs to carry out market research to understand competitors
strategies and offered products to ensure long-term sustainability and be a step ahead of the
rivals. In addition, market research could be easily conducted by making use of primary
research techniques like interview and surveys among the customers. The technique of
interviewing and survey are considered as being one among the most prevalent and powerful
approaches to Endeavour and appreciate our associate human beings.

Raw Materials
The most important raw material in any breakfast cereal is grain. The grains most commonly
used are corn, wheat, oats, rice, and barley. Some hot cereals, such as plain oatmeal, and a
few cold cereals, such as plain shredded wheat, contain no other ingredients. Most breakfast
cereals contain other ingredients, such as salt, yeast, sweeteners, flavoring agents, coloring
agents, vitamins, minerals, and preservatives.
The sweeteners used in breakfast cereals include malt (obtained from barley), white sugar,
brown sugar, and corn syrup. Some natural cereals are sweetened with concentrated fruit
juice. A wide variety of flavors may be added to breakfast cereals, including chocolate,
cinnamon and other spices, and fruit flavors. Other ingredients added to improve flavor
include nuts, dried fruit, and marshmallows.

Vitamins and minerals are often added to breakfast cereals to replace those lost during
cooking. The most important of these is vitamin B-i, 90 % of which is destroyed by heat. The
antioxidants BHA and BHT are the preservatives most often added to breakfast cereals to
prevent them from becoming stale and rancid

Manufacturing Process
After preparation, controlled quantities of raw materials and liquids are premixed and then
dosed before being fed continuously and uniformly into the extrusion platform. This mixture
is then cooked at the right temperatures using the thermo-mechanical energy provided by the
twin-screw extruder. Texturing and shaping of expanded products are determined by the final
design of the insert, while the expansion ratio is influenced by temperature of the extradite,
the types of ingredients used and moisture content.
Preparing the grain
 Grain is received at the cereal factory, inspected, and cleaned. It may be used in the
form of whole grains or it may require further processing. Often the whole grain is
crushed between large metal rollers to remove the outer layer of bran. It may then be
ground more finely into flour.
 Whole grains or partial grains (such as corn grits) are mixed with flavoring agents,
vitamins, minerals, sweeteners, salt, and water in a large rotating pressure cooker. The
time, temperature, and speed of rotation vary with the type of grain being cooked.
 The cooked grain is moved to a conveyor belt, which passes through a drying oven.
Enough of the water remains in the cooked grain to result in a soft, solid mass which
can be shaped as needed.
 If flour is used instead of grains, it is cooked in a cooking extruder. This device
consists of a long screw within a heated housing. The motion of the screw mixes the
flour with water, flavorings, salt, sweeteners, vitamins, minerals, and sometimes food
coloring. The screw moves this mixture through the extruder, cooking it as it moves
along. At the end of the extruder, the cooked dough emerges as a ribbon. A rotating
knife cuts the ribbon into pellets. These pellets are then processed in much the same
way as cooked grains.

Making flaked cereals

 The cooked grains are allowed to cool for several hours, stabilizing the moisture content of
each grain. This process is known as tempering. The tempered grains are flattened between
large metal rollers under tons of pressure. The resulting flakes are conveyed to ovens where
they are tossed in a blast of very hot air to remove remaining moisture and to toast them to a
desirable color and flavor. Instead of cooked grains, flakes may also be made from extruded
pellets in a similar manner.

Making puffed cereals

 Cereals may be puffed in ovens or in so-called "guns." Oven-puffed cereals are
usually made from rice. The rice is cooked, cooled, and dried. It is then rolled
between metal rollers like flaked cereals, but it is only partially flattened. This process
is known as bumping. The bumped rice is dried again and placed in a very hot oven
which causes it to swell.
 Gun-puffed cereals may be made from rice or wheat. The rice grains require no
pretreatment, but the wheat grains must be treated to partially remove the outer layer
of bran. This may be done by abrading it off between grindstones, a process known as
pearling. It may also be done by soaking the wheat grains in salt water. The salt water
toughens the bran, which allows it to break off in large pieces during puffing. The
 grain is placed in the gun, a small vessel which can hold very hot steam and very high
pressure. The gun is opened quickly to reduce the pressure suddenly, which puffs the
grain. Extruded pellets can also be used to make gun-puffed cereals in the same way
as grains.

Making shredded cereals

 Shredded cereals are usually made from wheat. The wheat is cooked in boiling water
to allow moisture to fully penetrate the grain. The cooked grain is cooled and allowed
to temper. It is then rolled between two metal rollers. One roller is smooth and the
other is grooved. A metal comb is positioned against the grooved roll with a tooth
inside each groove. The cooked grain is shredded by the teeth of the comb and drops
off the rollers in a continuous ribbon. A conveyor belt catches the ribbons from
several pairs of rollers and piles them up in layers. The layers of shredded wheat are
cut to the proper size, then baked to the desired color and dryness. Shredded cereals
may also be made in a similar way from extruded pellets.

Making other cereals

 Cereals can be made in a wide variety of special shapes (circles, letters of the
alphabet, etc.) with a cooking extruder. A die is added to the end of the extruder
which forms a ribbon of cooked dough with the desired cross-section shape. A
rotating knife cuts the ribbon into small pieces with the proper shape. These shaped
pieces of dough are processed in a manner similar to puffing. Instead of completely
puffing, however, the pieces expand only partially in order to maintain the special
shape.
 Granolas and similar products are made by mixing grain (usually oats) and other
ingredients (nuts, fruits, flavors, etc.) and cooking them on a conveyor belt which
moves through an oven. The cooked mixture is then crumbled to the desired size. Hot
cereals are made by processing the grain as necessary (rolling or cutting oats, cracking
wheat, or milling corn into grits) and partly cooking it so the consumer can cook it
quickly in hot water. Salt, sweeteners, flavors, and other ingredients may or may not
be added to the partly cooked mixture.

Adding coatings
 After shaping, the cereal may be coated with vitamins, minerals, sweeteners, flavors
such as fruit juices, food colors, or preservatives. Frosting is applied by spraying a
thick, hot syrup of sugar on the cereal in a rotating drum. As it cools the syrup dries
into a white layer of frosting.
Packaging
 Some cereals, such as shredded wheat, are fairly resistant to damage from moisture.
They may be placed directly into cardboard boxes or in cardboard boxes lined with
plastic. Most cereals must be packaged in airtight, waterproof plastic bags within
cardboard boxes to protect them from spoiling.
 An automated machine packages the cereal at a rate of about 40 boxes per minute.
The box is assembled from a flat sheet of cardboard, which has been previously
printed with the desired pattern for the outside of the box. The bottom and sides of the
box are sealed with a strong glue. The bag is formed from moisture-proof plastic and
inserted into the box. The cereal fills the bag and the bag is tightly sealed by heat. The
top of the box is sealed with a weak glue which allows the consumer to open it easily.
The completed boxes of cereal are packed into cartons which usually hold 12, 24, or
36 boxes and shipped to the retailer

FLEXIBLE LINES THAT PROMOTE PRODUCT

The added value of your breakfast cereal production line :

• Productivity: continuous and automated process starts and quick stops, fast and easy
changeovers and ease of cleaning and maintenance

• Flexibility, enabling product innovation:

A great variety of raw materials for processing a wide range of cereals

A vast choice of sizes, shapes and fillings (with optional co-extrusion add-ons)

The possibility of extending the range of products by simply adapting modules or adding
components to produce flakes, bicolor products, co-extruded cereals with visible inclusions
or varied shapes.

• Cost-effective: intensified HTST (High Temperature Short Time) transformation process,

generating savings in raw materials, as well as energy and water; easy maintenance, hygienic
design and compact design requiring less floor space.

• Expert systems: specially designed by our specialist engineers, with advanced automation
to ensure precise process control for consistent product quality that can be easily replicated.

• Finished product capacity : 200 kg/h to 2000 kg/h

Quality Control
Every step in the manufacturing of breakfast cereal is carefully monitored for quality. Since
cereal is a food intended for human consumption, sanitation is essential. The machines used
are made from stainless steel, which can be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized with hot steam.
Grain is inspected for any foreign matter when it arrives at the factory, when it is cooked, and
when it is shaped.
To ensure proper cooking and shaping, the temperature and moisture content of the cereal is
constantly monitored. The content of vitamins and minerals is measured to ensure accurate
nutrition information. Filled packages are weighed to ensure that the contents of each box is
consistent. In order to label boxes with an accurate shelf life, the quality of stored cereal is
tested over time. In order to be able to monitor freshness over a reasonable period of time, the
cereals are subjected to higher than normal temperatures and humilities in order to speed up
the spoiling process.