Breakfast cereal is one of the most popular meals to eat in the morning around the world. Cereals go through a vast production line. They are usually processed from raw materials such as cereal corn, oats, wheat, and rice. After harvesting, the grains will be crushed to remove the outer layer or ground into flour. To prepare the grains ready to be shaped, they are sent into a rotating pressure cooker and a drying oven. When the grains are grounded into flour, they’ll then be cooked in a cooking extruder, which mixes the flour with other ingredients such as water, vitamins, or flavorings.

After stabilizing the moisture content of the grains, they can be further processed into desired forms ranging from flaked, puffed, shredded, or other special forms of cereals. Granolas and mueslis involve mixing grains with nuts or fruits and cooking them on a conveyor belt through an oven.

Packing your cereal products

While some cereals, such as shredded wheat, are pretty resistant to moisture and stored directly in cardboard boxes, some cereal products need to be placed in an airtight and waterproof bag to protect them from being damaged. Resealable, flexible, and stand-up pouches have shown a growing trend in cereal packaging. At the same time, as the off-to-go snack bar has become more popular, single-serve packing also shows its potential.