CEREAL

Definition
◦ Cereal is an actual grass, primarily cultivated for the edible starch components of its grain
◦ Botanically, this grain is a type of fruit known as a caryopsis, and it contains three parts such as
the endosperm, germ, and bran.
◦ It belongs to the monocot family Poaceae and is grown in larger quantities and provides food
energy and carbohydrate.
◦ Cereals are a rich source of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, oils, and protein) and
micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) as well as bioactive phytochemicals (polyphenols, flavonoids,
anthocyanin, carotenoids, etc.)
Quality Assurance Parameters
Extrinsic factors Intrinsic factors
◦ Relative Humidity of storage ◦ Moisture content of product
space ◦ Water activity
◦ Temperature
◦ Firmness
◦ Presence of fruit ◦ Colour
◦ Taste
 Hazards / Contamination
Chemical Contaminant: Uncontrolled / excessive use of pesticide
◦ Glyphosate (a.k.a Roundup), a weed killer is found in many common brands of
cereal in America.
◦ Corn and soybeans are commonly grown using Roundup, and is sometimes used to dry out
oats just prior to harvest.
Hazards / Contamination
Biological Contaminant: Salmonella in cereal product
◦ Salmonella loves dry good, which means that cereal product that should be kept dry
makes a perfect place for Salmonella to grow.
◦ Salmonella is usually found in animal intestines, and contamination in food often comes
from contact with feces.
◦ It can end up in processed dry-food products through contamination at the processing
plant, due to unclean equipment or workers who do not properly wash their hands.
◦ Case Study: Ritz Cracker recall by Mondelez International in the US just last year
Hazards / Contamination

Physical Contamination: Foreign object inclusion during processing / packaging

◦ In the grain industry, physical hazards includes any contaminant other than the grain
such as weeds, metals, glass, stones or any non-edible substance that affects the
safety of consumer.
◦ Example: Metal found in cereal, Canada (2017)
Activities / Processing affect quality assurance

◦ Harvesting
◦ Cleaning and dehulling – Grain refining to retain nutritional superiority
◦ Storage condition
◦ Over drying – cracking of seed
◦ Grain respiration – weight loss and cause quality degradation
◦ Damages due to insect and rodents infection
◦ Mold and other bacteria contamination - mycotoxin