United States Patent (19) 11, Patent Number: 4,497,840 Gould et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 5, 1985

CEREAL FOODS MADE FROM AND 4,028,468 6/1977 Hohner et al...... 426/463 X METHOD OF MAKING 4,175,124 11/1979 Hyldon ...... 426/18O Inventors: Max R. Gould, Homosassa Springs, FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Fla.; David P. Bone; Fu H. Hsieh, 1552012 9/1979 United Kingdom. both of Palatine, Ill. Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, OTHER PUBLICATIONS Ill. Breakfast Tech. Noyes Data Corp. "Dough cooking and Extrusion Process' 1974, pp. 2-36. Appl. No.: 525,670 Breakfast Cereal Tech. Noyes Data Corp. "Quick Fied: Aug. 23, 1983 Cooking Oats' pp. 140-153, 1974, Other Quick Cook ing , pp. 154-180. Related U.S. Application Data "Bio Functional Properties of Oats' Max Gould for Continuation of Ser. No. 278,167, Jun. 29, 1981, aban Symposium, Cereals for Food Beverages, Pub. 1979 (C) doned. 1980, Academic Press Inc. Int. Cl...... A23J 1/12; A23B 4/04 Saturday Evening Post “Or Perchance to Prevent A U.S. C...... 426/560; 426/457; Coronary and Bypass' pp. 14, 115, 17, 22 and 123, 426/463; 426/619; 426/620 Feb. 1980. Field of Search ...... 426/456, 457, 463, 464, Primary Examiner-Robert Lindsay 426/560, 618, 620, 621, 619 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Neuman, Williams, Anderson References Cited & Olson U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 57 ABSTRACT l, 170,162 2/1916 Kellogg ...... 426/463 X Cereal food products are prepared from which 2,355,028 8/1944 Musher . is a portion of the oat which contains at least 2,355,029 8/1944 Musher ...... 252/1 150% more crude fiber than the whole oat groat and 2,355,033 8/1944 Musher ...... 106/154 2,414,117 1/1947 Musher ...... 252/ contains increased levels of protein, gum, fat and ash 2,466,260 4/1949 Musher ...... 241A1 than the whole oat groat. 2,466.26 4/949 Musher . 2,554,869 5/1951 Musher . 15 Claims, No Drawings 4,497,840 1. 2 about 10 to 12 minutes. After steaming, the oat kernels CEREAL FOODS MADE FROM OATS AND are passed through "bump' rolls with the clearance METHOD OF MAKING between the rolls being sufficient to break or fracture the kernels but insufficient to roll the oat kernels. In this This application is a continuation of application Ser. 5 step, "bump' rolls such as rotating Ross Rolls having a No. 278,167 file June 29, 1981 now abandoned. clearance between the rolls of about 0.009 to 0.016 inch This invention relates to food products and more are generally satisfactory. particularly to food products derived from oats. The oat kernels can then be cooled, if necessary or The value of oatgrains (groats) as food has long been desired, and are then ground in a suitable mill such as a appreciated. Oat groats are high in protein, of good 10 Fitz mill or a hammer mill or other known grinding quality and are a good source of Vitamins and minerals, mills. The grinding or milling operation is conducted so such as thiamin, iron and phosphorous. However, diffi as to obtain a fine oat fraction or oat and the oat culties are encountered in the production of oat food bran fraction. The fine oat fraction comprises small products having desired qualities from the standpoint of regular shaped spherical particles which basically origi the consumer. For example, oat foods have a tendency 15 nate from the starch and are smaller in size when cooked to paste or form lumps which detract than the oat bran particles. The oat bran comprises from the mouthfeel characteristics and the cooked oat more irregularly shaped particles which largely origi foods tend to stick to cooking utensils making the clean nate from the bran layer or from the endosperm near the ing thereof difficult. bran layer. Particles containing the bran particles or It is a principal object of this invention to provide 20 multiple starch granules cemented together by oatgum from oats food products having desired organoleptic or protein tend to be less dense and/or more irregularly properties. shaped than the free starch particles from the starch It is another object to provide oat food products of endosperm which tend to be dense and compact. The good nutritional value which can be cooked without oat bran contains particles which are of a size larger Substantial pasting or lumping. 25 than the fine oat fraction. It is another object to provide methods for producing The oat bran desired for use according to this inven from oats ready-to-eat cereal foods. tion is separated from the fine oat fraction or oat flour It is another object of the invention to provide cereal by any suitable means such as screening, sifting, air food products from oats which are readily hydratable classification and so forth. with both hot and cold water. 30 The size of the openings in the grinding screens af It is still another object of this invention to produce fects the yield of oat bran obtained from the oat groats. from oats ready-to-eat type cereal foods having desir If the grinder screen openings are excessively small in able attributes from the standpoint of structural integ size, less oat flour can be separated from the oat bran. rity and maintenance of crispness. Conversely, if the grinder screen openings are exces In accordance with this invention, breakfast cereal 35 sively large, the efficiency of the separation of the oat type food products are produced from a particular por gran and oat flour is reduced. The grinder screen em tion of the oat groat, which portion, compared to the ployed is one having openings of a size which afford whole oat groat, is enriched in protein, crude fiber, maximum separation of the oat bran and oat flour. The dietary fiber and gum content. The portion of the oat preferred size screen openings for a particular grinding groat used in accordance with this invention is an oat 40 mill can be routinely determined taking into consider bran concentrate referred to herein as oat bran. The oat ation the yield of oat bran desired. For example, with a bran as used herein is a fraction obtained from whole conventional Fitz mill, screens having openings of from oat groats which contains at least 150% more crude about 3/64 to 7/64 inch in diameter are suitably em fiber than the whole groat and contains increased levels ployed. With screens having the larger openings, the of protein, gun, fat and ash than the whole oat groat. 45 oat bran is retained on the screen and comprises about In the milling of various cereal grains, the morphol 40 to 50% of the groat. With screens having smaller ogy of the respective grains influences the extent to openings, such as 3/64 inch openings, the oat bran re which the bran layers can be separated from the endo tained on the screen comprises about 10% of the groat. sperm layers. The morphology of , for example, The same considerations as to size of screen openings makes it relatively easy to obtain an almost clean separa 50 applies if the oat bran is separated from the oat flour by tion of the wheat bran from the wheat endosperm. The means of sifter screens and the like. The screen openings morphology of oats may be regarded as in the other end should be of a size so as to accomplish separation be of the spectrum because it is virtually impossible, by the tween the two fractions and preferably in the most best milling procedures, to disengage the bran or aleu efficient manner so as to improve yield of the oat bran. rone layer materials from the adhering endosperm ma 55 Thus, the milling and grinding and separation means terial. The oat fraction used herein consists of a rich, if can be varied by those knowledgeable in the art so as to not the richest, concentrate of the oat bran layers which obtain the oat bran concentrate which is the portion or can be industrially produced in a practical manner. fraction of the oat groat which has a crude fiber content Hence, this oat bran concentrate is referred to simply as of at least 150% the crude fiber content of the original the oat bran fraction or "oat bran'. 60 oat groat, A presently preferred procedure for obtaining the oat A proximate analysis of typical oat bran utilized in bran involves steaming dehulled, whole, dried or green accordance with this invention compared to the starting oat groats which generally contain on the order of oat groat is shown in Table I. 10-12% moisture for a suitable period to inactivate lipase activity. Generally, steaming the green oat groats 65 TABLE is satisfactorily achieved by steaming the oats in suitable Percent (as is) steaming equipment at temperatures of about 210-215 Groat Oat Bran F. and pressures of about 14.7 to 18 psia for a period of Starch 50-60 15-40 4,497,840 3 4 discharge particularly shaped strands or rods which can TABLE I-continued be cut into pieces of a size desired. The extrudate Percent (as is) strands or rods leaving the extruder can be cut near the Groat Oat Bran die orifice or fed to cutting and shaping rolls. Alterna Protein (Nx6.25) 6.5 21-22 5 tively, the oat bran can be cooked by means other than Fat 6.2 7.5 an extruder-cooker and the cooked oat bran can be Moisture 9.3 8.5 Crude Fiber 1.6 2.7 formed into a plastic sheet and cut and shaped as desired Ash 1.9 2.6 using conventional equipment and techniques known in Dietary Fiber 6-9 14-30 the cereal food art. It is known that cereal type break Beta Glucan 4-6 8-12 10 fast foods can be extruder cooked under conditions that a plastic, shapable mass or dough is formed, but for a It will be noted that the oat bran is enriched in pro very brief time, and the extrusion pressure and tempera tein, fat, crude fiber, ash, dietary fiber and gum content. ture conditions being such that the water in the extrud Unexpectedly and notwithstanding its relatively high ate is quickly flashed off, yielding an extrudate which is gum content, the oat bran is readily hydratable with hot 15 hard and frangible and not considered generally a plas or cold water and exhibits reduced pasting and lump tic shapable mass. However, such extrudates from characteristics when processed in accordance with this which water has been flashed off are susceptible to invention. grinding to form particulate extrudates. Such extrudates To prepare a food product in accordance with this are definitely suitable for use in accordance with this invention, the oat bran is subjected to a cooking opera- 20 invention and herein are considered to be a plastic shap tion with water. The oat bran particles as produced can able mass or dough or the equivalent thereof. Shaping be subjected to the cooking operation or the oat bran the cooked oat bran by grinding to produce finely di particles can be further ground prior to cooking, if vided particles as opposed to say flakes or shreds is desired, for organoleptic or other reasons. Cooking of particularly advantageous when producing "baby the oat bran with water is carried out to gelatinize the 25 food' cereal foods intended to be fed to very young starch in the bran and to produce a plastic mass which children. is capable of being shaped into a desired form. For The cooked, shaped oat bran in accordance with this cooking, the oat bran is tempered with water to a mois invention is eminently suitable for use as an "instant' ture content to say about 15% to 35% or more and cereal food product. The processed oat bran is readily subjected to a temperature of about 160 to 350 F. for 30 hydratable with either hot or cold water and exhibits a period ranging from 15 to 120 seconds. The conditions the properties of cooked instant cereals. With the pro of cooking so as to effect gelatinization of the starch can cessed oat bran it is not necessary to further cook the be varied with starch gelatinization being confirmed by cereal for a period of time with water as is required with methods well known in the art, such as, loss of birefrin known instant cereals. Currently available instant cere gence in the starch, change in iodine affinity, or change 35 als generally require cooking with water at a tempera in alkali viscosity or change in water solubility, micro ture of at least about 80 C. for at least one minute or scopic examination and so forth. The cooking is conve more. The oat bran, when used as an instant cereal, can niently and thus preferably accomplished by passing the be mixed with cold water to form a cold cereal which is oat bran admixed with water through an extruder-heat organoleptically similar to a cooked cereal but which is exchanger of conventional design, from which it is 40 not pasty or lumpy and which does not stick or adhere extruded through a die having an arrangement of excessively to utensils. If the consumer prefers, the oat closely adjacent orifices discharging a pluarlity of bran can be used as a hot instant cereal by the mere strands which are pliable or plastic in nature. The oat addition of hot water thereto without the necessity of bran can be expanded or non-expanded as desired by actually further cooking the material. The hydration controlling the temperature of the cooking-extruding 45 characteristics of the oat bran are such that a smooth, operation and the moisture of the bran undergoing ex non-lumpy, non-pasty instant cereal food is obtained by trusion. For substantial expansion, it is generally pre simple mixing, such as by spoon mixing the processed ferred that the moisture content of the material being oat bran with either hot or cold water. cooked and extruded be in the range of about 20 to 25% The oat bran in accordance with this invention is and the cooking temperature, i.e. the temperature at the 50 likewise eminently suitable for use as the principal in exit end of the cooker/extruder, be about 280 to 320 gredient in ready-to-eat cereal foods. Thus, the cooked F. To limit or reduce expansion during the cooking/ex shaped oat bran can be employed in formulations with truding operation, the moisture content of the material other desired materials, such as flavors, to produce a is maintained at about 30% to 35% and cooking temper ready-to-eat cereal to which milk can be added. Ac atures on the order of about 160 to 260' F. are utilized. 55 cording to this embodiment, the oat bran is mixed with Other means for cooking the oat bran known in the other ingredients including water to form a dough cereal food art can be employed, such as, for example, which is then cooked. The cooking of the oat bran in puffing and microwave heating. In any event, cooking the dough formulation can be conducted as previously is accomplished by heating the moistened oat bran to a described heretofore with respect to the cooking of the temperature sufficient to gelatinize the starch in the 60 oat bran per se. Various ingredients can be employed presence of sufficient water to produce a plastic mass or with the oat bran to form the dough. Such ingredients dough which can be shaped. include various raw and pregelatinized , starches After being cooked, the oat bran is in a plastic condi and chemically modified flours and starches such as tion and capable of being shaped as is desired to form from corn, oats, wheat, , rice, tapioca, proteins shreds, flakes, pellets, expanded hollow tubes, solid 65 and protein derivatives from soybeans, cottonseed, rods, etc. As is known in the art, the shaping can be milk, Sunflower, gelatin, meat, peanut, fish, oils and fats accomplished principally by use of an extruder having a and modified oils and fats from animal and vegetable plurality of die orifices of such configuration so as to Sources such as lard, corn oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, 4,497,840 5 6 Sesame oil, vegetable gums such as carboxymethyl cel lulose, methyl cellulose, guar, gum arabic, tragacanth, EXAMPLE 2 carageenan, pectin, aginate, Sugars such as sucrose, Following the procedure of Example 1, oat bran is dextrose, fructose, lactose, gelactose, maltose, inert obtained from dehulled, green oat groats by grinding in Sugars, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerine, sorbitol, a hammer mill having screen openings of 4/64 inch. propylene glycol, alcohols such as ethanol, surfactants Approximately 10% of the oat groats comprising the Such as monoglyceride and derivatives, lecithins, miner oat barn are retained on the sifter screen. als including those utilized for dietary supplementation Such as salt, phosphates, dietary supplements, antioxi EXAMPLE 3 dants such as BHA, BHT, TBHQ and the like. O Following the procedure of Example 1, oat bran is The choice of ingredients to employ with the oat bran obtained by grinding the steamed, dehulled green oat to produce a ready-to-eat cereal can vary widely as is groats in a hammer mill having screen openings of 5/64 known in the cereal food art, with particular ingredients inch. Approximately 20-25% of the oat groats compris ing the oat bran are retained on the sifter screen. being selected to provide a desired ready-to-eat cereal. 15 The cereal foods containing cooked shaped oat bran EXAMPLE 4 are subjected to a drying operation to reduce the final The oat bran prepared as in Examples 1, 2 and 3 was moisture content to a level not exceeding about 15% fractionated into three screen size fractions; a fraction and preferably not exceeding 10% and more preferably retained on a 14 mesh screen (U.S. Sieve Series) (-- 14 not in excess of about 5% by weight. 20 fraction), a fraction passing through a 14 mesh but The cereal foods disclosed herein are distributed in which is retained on a 25 mesh screen (-14-4-25 frac packaged form as is customary with cereal foods. No tion) and a third fraction which passes through a 25 special types of packaging are required and the cereal mesh screen (-25 fraction); these three fractions being foods exhibit shelf stability normally associated with designated large, middle and fine fractions, respec breakfast cereal food products. If the food product is to 25 tively. To 10 parts of each of the fractions were added be distributed or stored under unfavorable conditions 50 parts of hot water and 50 parts of cold water. Com which are well recognized, edible antioxidants can be plete hydration occured with both hot and cold water incorporated in the cereal food and/or the food can be very quickly, with the resulting food product constitut packaged while in an environment from which oxygen ing wet, non-sticking agglomerates. While there was has been excluded. 30 some agglomeration of the wetted cereal, there was The following examples illustrate the invention and virtually no adhesion between small agglomerates or the advantages thereof. between the agglomerates and the container. It is note worthy and completely unexpected that with these EXAMPLE 1. instant pregelatinized cereal foods no “stickiness' oc Whole, dehulled, green oat groats containing about 35 curs with cold water. Known cereals containing prege 10-12% moisture are steamed in an atmospheric latinized starch would generally, under similar condi steamer for approximately 12 minutes. The steamed oat tions, produce a very sticky mass. groats are then passed through "bump' rolls having EXAMPLE 5 clearance therebetween of about 0.012 inches so as to 40 fracture the oat kernels. The oat kernels are then cooled Whole, dehulled, green oat groats containing about to a temperature on the order of about 80°-90° F. and 10-12% moisture are steamed in an atmospheric then ground in a Fitz mill having screen openings of steamer for approximately 12 minutes. The steamed oat 6/64 inches. After grinding, the oat groats are passed to groats are then passed through "bump' rolls having a sifter having 0.02 13 inch screen openings. Approxi 45 clearance therebetween of about 0.012 inch so as to mately 40-50% of the oat groats, comprising the oat fracture the oat kernels. The oat kernels are then cooled bran, are retained on the sifter screen. to a temperature on the order of about 80°-90° F. and The oat bran is then tempered to approximately 30% then ground in a Fitz mill having screen openings of moisture and is passed through an Akron inch steam 6/64 inches. After grinding, the oat groats are passed to 50 a sifter having 0.0213 inch screen openings. Approxi heated cooker-extruder. The extrusion conditions are as mately 40-50% of the oat groats, comprising the oat follows: bran, are retained on the sifter screen. The oat bran is then tempered to approximately 22% Die: 5/32 inch round moisture and is passed through an Akron inch steam Auger speed: 160 rpm 55 heated cooker-extruder. The extrusion conditions are as Feed zone: cold water follows: Zone 1: cold water Zone 2: cold water Zone 3: 50 psi steam pressure Die: 1/6 inch round Zone 4: 100 psi steam pressure Auger speed: 160 rpm Exit temperature: 240 F. 60 Feed zone: cold water Back pressure: 50 psi Zone : cold water Feed rate is maintained such that the amperage Zone 2: cold water reading is 6-8 Amps. Zone 3: 25 psi steam pressure Zone 4: 150 psi steam pressure Exit temperature: 290 F. The extruded non-expanded product is then ground and 65 Back pressure: 250 psi dried to a moisture content of about 3-4% by weight. Feed rate is maintained such that the amperage The product is highly satisfactory as an instant cereal reading is 6-8 Amps. food by admixing hot or cold water therewith. 4,497,840 7 8 The extruded slightly expanded product is then ground wet through a Fitz mill and dried to a moisture content of about 3-4% by weight. Dry Mix Ingredients % Oat bran 65.00 EXAMPLE 6 Yellow corn flour 23.50 Sucrose 0.00 Oat bran obtained as described in Example 1 is uti Salt 1.50 lized to prepare a shredded ready-to-eat cereal. This 100.00 cereal employs a high percentage of the oat bran and Mix Moisture = 8.3% produces a shredded cereal having a pleasant Sweet taste with relatively low sugar content. Also, upon 10 The ingredients were blended in a ribbon type mixer adding water to the cereal product, it maintains struc and then mixed in a rotary screw feeder mixer at a ratio tural integrity and remains crisp for extended periods. of 77 parts dry milk and 23 parts water by weight to The cereal formulation is as follows: form a homogeneous dough. The dough was processed 15 on an Egan Model continuous extruder-cooker using a type 7D screw having a length to diameter ratio of 24:1. % The screw was operated at 181 revolutions per minute Oat bran 73.95 at 18 kilowatts and was cooled internally with water at 2.85 Sugar 9.75 15°-20° C. The first half of the extruder panel from the Salt 1.00 20 point of raw dough input was cooled with water at Glycerol 1.00 15°-20° C. The last half of the panel was heated by CaCo3 0.75 steam in three sections at 142, 130 and 30 psig, respec Na2HPO4 0.50 tively. Vitamin color premix 0.20 These conditions resulted in a cooked dough temper Dry Mix 100.00 25 ature of 160° C. at a manifold pressure of 2700 psig immediately before exit from a forming die. The ex A dough is formed from the above dry mix by adding panded cylinder of cooked extrudate was fed continu 33 parts of water to 67 parts of the dry mix. The dough ously through cutting rolls to form hollow spheres of is then cooked and extruded in an Akron 1 inch steam bite sized ready-to-eat cereal. The bite size pieces were heated extruder under the following non-expanding 30 dried in a stream of hot air for about 10 seconds. The resulting ready-to-eat cereal had the following conditions: composition:

Extrusion: (Akron steam heated extruder) 35 % Die: 1 1/64' round Ash 3. Auger speed: 95 RPM Crude fiber 2.36 Feed zone: cold water Protein (Nx6.25) 15.3 Moisture 7.3 Zone : cold water Zone 2: cold water 40 Zone 3: 75 psi steam pressure The cereal provides 4 to 5 grams of dietary fiber per Zone 4: 100 psi steam pressure Exit temperature: 240 F. one ounce serving and 0.67 gram of crude fiber per Back pressure: O serving. Amperage reading: 4.0 amps. EXAMPLE 8 45 After extrusion the extrudate is shredded using three This example illustrates a “natural' ready-to-eat ce shredding rolls, using pressures as follows: real. The formulation of the cereal is as follows:

% ist rolls pressure 3800 psi SO 2nd rolls pressure 2000 psi Oat bran 29.23 3rd rolls pressure 3500 psi Wheat flakes 4.01 Dried almonds 5.89 Dried coconut 6.99 Then the shredded product is dried for 7 minutes in Non-fat dried milk 6.99 a Spooner oven using a temperature of 300 F. in drying 55 Syrup Brown sugar 16.68 Zone 1 and drying zone 2. Konut oil 10,02 The shredded cereal food prepared in accordance Honey i.26 with this example exhibits an approximately 50% in Water 8.33 00.00 crease in bowl life as compared with a similar cereal 60 which does not contain the oat bran. The bowl life is determined by immersion of the cereal in cold milk, The cereal is prepared by premixing all dry ingredients eating the cereal at one minute intervals and recording and placing in an enrober. The syrup is then heated to the time the cereal remains substantially crisp. 150 F. and placed in a spray gun and sprayed slowly 65 into the dry mix while enrobing. The cereal is then EXAMPLE 7 placed in a Proctor/Swartz oven pan and baked for 12 An expanded ready-to-eat cereal containing 65% oat minutes at 260 F. The sample is then cooled on the air bran is produced as follows: drier and broken up using breaker rolls. 4,497,840 9 10 EXAMPLE 9 TABLE III-continued Hydration Index This example illustrates a Granola bar made from a Extrusion grams water/ cereal containing oat bran. The formulation is as fol Temp. grams dry solids lows: 5 Extruder cooked corn grits 225 C. 6.7 (6) 25.4% moisture Extruder cooked corn starch 70 C. 4.9 (6) % 22.0% moisture Oat bran 29.33 Extruder cooked corn starch 70° C. 83 (6) Wheat flakes 14.61 O 22.0% moisture Almonds 5.89 Extruder cooked corn starch 225 C. 4.9 (6) Coconut 6.99 22.0% moisture Non-fat dried milk 6.99 Extruder cooked wheat starch 70° C. 4.6 (6) Syrup 22.0% moisture Brown sugar 6.68 Extruder cooked wheat starch 170° C. 7.7 (6) Honey 1.26 5 22.0% moisture Water 8.33 Extruder cooked wheat starch 225 C. 7.4 (6) 42 DE Corn syrup 0.02 22.0% moisture Extruder cooked rice starch 70° C. S. (6) 100.00 22.0% moisture Extruder cooked rice starch 70° C. 8.3 (6) 22.0% moisture The dry mix is placed in an enrober. Syrup, heated to 20 Extruder cooked rice starch 225 C. 7.4 (6) 150 F., is sprayed onto the dry mix. The cereal is then 22.0% moisture placed in greased, baked Granola Bar forms and baked (1) American Association of Cereal Chemists Method 56-20, in a Proctor/Swartz oven at 250 F. for 21 minutes and (2) Sollars, W.F., Relation of Distilled Water Retention to Alkaline-Water Reten tion, Water Absorption, and Baking Properties of Wheat Flours. Cereal Chemistry allowed to air cool. The bars are then packaged in poly 49; 168-172 (1972). bags. 25 (3) Rasper, V.F., and J.M. deman. Measurement of Hydration Capacity of Wheat The oat bran disclosed in this invention is further Floura Starch Mixtures. Cereal Chemistry 57(1): 27-31 (1980). (4) Quinn, J.R., and D. Paton. A Practical Measurement of Water Hydration characterized by its high water holding capacity. The Capacity of Protein Materials. Cereal Chemistry 56(1): 38-40 (1979). water holding capacity of hydratability of the oat bran (5) Fleming, S.E., F.W. Sosuiski, A. Kilara, and E.S. Humbert. Viscosity and Water Absorption Characteristics of Surries of Sunflower and Soybean Flours, Concen is considerably higher than oat flour, wheat flour and trates and Isolates. J. Food Sci. 39; 188-191 (1974). ungelatinized starchy materials. Pregelatinized starchy 30 (6) Mercier, C. and P. Feillet. Modification of Carbohydrate Components by materials are noted for high water holding capacity Extrusion-Cooking of Cereal Products. Cereal Chemistry 52(3):285-297 (1975). (hydration index) but it is usually very difficult to mix these starchy materials with hot or cold water to form In obtaining the data presented in the above Tables II a lump-free dispersion. Quite unexpectedly, however, and III, the assay methods referred to were used to the oat bran disclosed herein, when cooked so as to 35 determine the hydration index. All of the assay methods gelatinize the starch content, exhibits a hydration index consist generally of placing the sample to be tested in comparable to pregelatinized starchy materials but un excess water, centrifuging, removing the supernatant like which can be rapidly hydrated in either hot or cold and weighing the hydrated residue. The hydration ca water by simple mixing, such as by spoon mixing, to pacity or index is calculated as the weight of the hy form a relatively lump-free, non-sticky dough or por 40 drated residue divided by the sample dry weight. ridge. In Table II data are presented comparing the Another unexpected and advantageous characteristic water holding capacity of the oat bran of this invention of hot or cold breakfast cereals containing the oat bran with other products. is the significantly reduced pastiness and stickiness of the cereals. The tendency of oat breakfast cereals when TABLE 45 heated in the presence of water to form lumps and be Hydration Index come very sticky is well known. However, cereal foods grams water/ containing the oat bran, whether served hot or cold, grams dry solids exhibit significantly reduced pasting and stickiness Uncooked oat bran 3.10 (l) Oat Flour 2.67 (i) characteristics. To illustrate this important advantage, Wheat four 1.59 (2) 50 the sticking or adhesive tendencies of a hot Wheat starch 1.97 (3) made from oat bran and a commercially available wheat Rice starch 1.86 (3) cereal were tested. According to package directions, Potato starch 1.84 (3) Tapioca starch 1.72 (3) the commercially available wheat cereal (15.5 parts by Soy Protein isolate 3.50 (4) weight) was slowly stirred into 84.5 parts boiling water, Soy protein concentrate 3.10 (4) 55 the water brought to a boil again and boiling continued Soy flour 2.77 (5) for 23 minutes while stirring constantly to form a por ridge type cereal. Similarly, a porridge cereal made In Table III below there is given a comparison of from cooked oat bran was prepared by spoon mixing cooked oat bran with other cooked products. 15.5 parts of oat bran with 84.5 parts boiling water. The 60 three were evaluated for pastiness and sticki TABLE III ness using an Ametek Penetrometer, Model LKG-5, Hydration Index manufactured by the Hunter Spring Division, One Extrusion grams water/ Spring Avenue, Hatfield, Pa. This penetrometer con Temp. grams dry solids sists of a movable plunger that actuates a gauge that is Extruder cooked coarse 35 C. 5.6 (1) 65 oat bran calibrated in fractional kilograms force. The plunger 30%. Hoisture has attached thereto a circular metal disc that is 5 centi Extruder cooked corn grits 225°. C. 4.4 (6) meters in diameter. In measuring adhesion, a movable 10.5% moisture metal surface is covered with a thin layer of the test 4,497,840 11 12 cereal and the covered metal surface is pressed against bran having a crude fiber content at least about 150% the circular metal disc. The applied force is registered greater than the crude fiber content of the original oat on the gauge and recorded. Then the covered metal kernels, cooking the said oat bran with water to gelati surface is moved away from the circular metal disc and nize the starch in the oat bran and to render the cooked the force required to separate the disc and movable 5 oat bran pliable and shapable and hydratable with water metal surface is registered on the gauge and recorded. without heating, forming a plastic shapable mass from The force required to separate the surfaces at the partic the cooked oat bran, subjecting the plastic shapable ular level of applied force is calculated and expressed as mass of cooked oat bran to a shaping operation to pro grams per square centimeter. The test results are shown duce shaped pieces of cooked oat bran, drying the in Table IV. 10 shaped cooked oat bran pieces to a moisture content of TABLE IV not more than about 10% to produce an edible cereal food which need not be subjected to further cooking HOT PORRIDGE prior to consumption. Commercial Wheat Cooked 2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein Cereal Oat Bran 15 cooking of the oat bran is carried out under conditions Applied Force Adhesion Adhesion to effect expansion of the oat bran. gms/cm gns/cm2 gms/cm 3. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein 51.95 51.9 26.0 cooking of the oat bran is carried out under non 103.90 57.1 41.6 expanding conditions. 155.85 83. 72.7 20 4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cooked oat bran is shaped into flakes. Using the same instrument as above, cold porridges 5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the made from cooked oat bran and a porridge made from cooked oat bran is shaped into shreds. 9.77% tapioca starch were tested. The tapioca starch 6. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the porridge was prepared by mixing pregelatinized tapioca 25 cooked oat bran is shaped by grinding to form finely starch with cold tap water in a Waring blender. The oat divided particles. bran porridges were prepared by spoon mixing with 7. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cold tap water. The results are shown in Table V. oat bran is cooked in the form of a dough with a flavor TABLE V 30 imparting ingredient. COLD PORRIDGES 8. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the Tapioca Cooked/Extruded oat bran is subjected to extrusion. Starch Oat Bran 9. An edible, pre-cooked, ready to eat cereal food 9.77% 9.77% 20% readily hydratable with hot or cold water and having a Applied Adhesion Adhesion Adhesion moisture content of not more than about 10% compris gms/cm gms/cm gms/cm gms/cm 35 ing shaped pieces of oat bran having a crude fiber con 5.95 5.9 7.8 8.2 tent at least about 150% greater than the crude fiber 103.90 77.9 20.8 41.6 content of the original oat kernels, said bran having 155.85 88.3 20.8 46.7 been cooked with water under conditions to effect gela tinization of the starch therein and to render the cooked In addition to food value, food products comprised of 40 oat bran pliable and shapable and hydratable with water a substantial proportion of the oat bran disclosed herein without heating. may have physiological properties of significance with 10. An edible, pre-cooked, ready to eat cereal food in respect to serum cholesterol reduction. There are indi accordance with claim 9 which is formed from a dough cations that daily consumption of the oat bran as part of containing said oat bran as a principal ingredient a high carbohydrate fiber diet reduces serum choles- 45 thereof. terol in adults with hypercholesterolemia. Such a diet 11. A cereal food in accordance with claim 9 which is also may contribute to a beneficial shift in the ratio of shaped in flake form. low density lipoprotein cholesterol to high density lipo 12. A cereal food in accordance with claim 9 which is protein cholesterol. shaped in shredded form. Those modifications and equivalents which fall 50 13. A cereal food in accordance with claim 9 which is within the spirit of the invention are to be considered a shaped in finely divided particulate form. part thereof. 14. A cereal food in accordance with claim 9 which What is claimed is: contains a flavor imparting ingredient. 1. A method of producing a pre-cooked, edible cereal 15. A cereal food in accordance with claim 9 which is food which comprises subjecting oat kernels to a mill- 55 shaped in the form of a bar. ing operation, separating from the milling operation oat : e s k k

60

65.