History of Cereals and Breakfast Cereal Industry
Food made from processed grains called breakfast cereal is today one of the most
popular breakfast foods.
Cereal History
Cereals were invented as a healthy diet. In time, most of them turned into very
unhealthy type of food. They have high sugar and fat and not too much of useful
ingredients. But not all cereals are bad for you. Some of them can help you lead a
healthy life and even save you from some horrible diseases.
Brief History of Cereals
Processed grains are used for human nutrition since the ancient times. Porridge
(made by boiling ground, crushed, or chopped cereal in water or milk) was known in
Europe and Russia for thousands of years. Native peoples of North America had
their variants of processed grains which they used for nourishment (grits and
hominy).
Morning meals of 19th century America consisted largely of meat and didn't have
enough fiber which resulted in digestive problems and constipation. Because of that
vegetarian movement started appearing and food reform began. The Seventh-day
Adventists from Michigan made these food reforms part of their religion which will
later have an important part in discovery of breakfast cereals.
The first breakfast cereals were made by Ferdinand Schumacher, a German
immigrant, in 1854. He produced them on a hand oats grinder in the back room of
his store in Akron, Ohio. The first company for manufacturing oatmeal in the United
States was also his. It was called “German Mills American Oatmeal Company” and it
will later become “Quaker Oats Company”. At around the same time appeared the
first cold breakfast cereal. It was called “Granula” and was invented by James Caleb
Jackson.
John Harvey Kellogg, doctor, medical superintendent at the Western Health Reform
Institute, and Adventist experimented with granola to invent lighter and bland food for
his patients (he believed that strong food leads to sin). Him and his brother William
experimented with granola and, because of a mistake they made, invented with
Cornflakes which they patented in 1891 and started mass-producing it in 1906.
Patients of sanatorium liked corn flakes and soon the whole country joined them.
William K. Kellogg bought patent in 1906 and opened Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake
Company. He stopped producing corn flakes as a health food, he started adding
sugar and began heavy advertising campaign which made of company what it is
today. Cereals became popular again in 1960s with other types of health food.
Today, breakfast cereal industry has gross profit margins of 40 – 45% and, in some
markets, penetration of 90%.
● 50% of ingredients of breakfast cereals “Honey Smacks” and “Golden Crisp”
manufactured by Kellogg's, consists of sugar.
● People call Battle Creek, Michigan the "Cereal Capital of the World". Kelloog's
and Post are based there.
● Healthy variants of breakfast cereals can be really healthy. They have
vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
● A cannon that was used in the Spanish-American war was converted into the
first pressure cooker for making puffed cereals.
● After the Second World War, breakfast cereal manufacturers started
predominantly targeting children in their advertisements and haven't stopped
since.
