Food Engineering/Manufacturing/Cheerios

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Expert: J. Peter Clark - 9/16/2005


Question
How are these made?

Answer
Cheerios are made from oat flour and some other ingredients, such as sugar, salt, and starch. The dry ingredients are mixed with water and formed into small, hard circles by cooking and forcing through dies. The small circles are partially dried and then puffed by heating with steam in a cylinder under pressure, then allowed to release from the high pressure to atmospheric pressure. This causes the circles to expand as water inside turns to steam. The puffed pieces are further dried, then vitamins and minerals are sprayed on and they are dried again. Some varieties have a sugar or honey coating added. The product is over 75 years old and is one of the most popular breakfast cereals.  It is commonly fed to children dry as a snack because it is safe, easy to eat and nutritious.  

Food Engineering/Manufacturing

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J. Peter Clark

Expertise

How various processed foods are made; ways to improve manufacturing; how to make a new food product.

Experience

Employment history: Research Engineer, U.S.Agricultural Research Service, Associate Professor Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Director of Research, Continental Baking Company, President, Epstein Process Engineering, Inc., Vice Presdent Technology, Fluor Daniel, Inc., Consultant to the Process Industries

Organizations: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Fellow) Institute of Food Technologists, American Association of Cereal Chemists, American Association of Candy Technologists, American Society of Agricultural Engineers,

Publications: Several Encyclopedias (Kirk and Othmer, Chemical Technology; Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition; Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology; Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems); five books, two book chapters; numerous journals.

Education: BSChE Notre Dame PhD University of California, Berkeley

Awards: AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award 1998

Clients: Major food processing and pharamaceutical companies.

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