Cereal

The grain that is produced from grassy plants, which is processed into an edible or ready-to-eat breakfast food. Grains such as amaranth, barley, corn, farina, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, and wheat are common cereal grains that are used for the production of breakfast cereals. The most predominate grains used are corn, oats, rice, and wheat. To produce the breakfast food, cereals are milled and ground to produce an edible product. There are 3 basic categories of breakfast cereals, which are ready-to-cook, instant, and ready-to-eat. A ready-to-cook cereal is a grain that has been cracked or crushed, such as rolled or flaked grains and is uncooked. An instant cereal contains smaller particles of grain that may have been partially cooked and, therefore, require a shorter cooking time. Ready-to-eat cereals have been cooked and dried or toasted to create an edible product.