Breakfast Cereals Go Organic

Long a breakfast staple, the packaged cereal market has suffered from the time-crunch consumers feel in the morning. However, by going organic, cereal is attracting a new generation of consumers that values the importance of starting the day with a nutritious meal. Further, for many of these consumers, cereal has evolved into an anytime-of-day snack. They appreciate the option to munch on some organic oat Os instead of a bag of chips.

Keep it simple

But what makes those organic oat Os a better snack option than chips? For starters, packaged organic-food manufacturers have an unofficial rule to keep formulations as simple and basic as possible, which in turn suggests to consumers more-authentic and natural nutrition.

Instead of fortifying cereal with synthetic vitamins and minerals, organic cereal developers seek out ingredients inherently rich in nutrients, says Sheila Linderman, an organic-foods certifying and formulating consultant based in West Hills, CA.

And, of course, theres the environmental impact.

The environmental benefits of organic agriculture are multiple and include a reduced carbon footprint as compared to nonorganic agriculture processes, says Prescott Bergh, Ciranda, Hudson, WI. In addition, some studies have indicated that organic foods may have higher amounts of nutrients than conventionally grown food.

Grace Marroquin, president and CEO, Marroquin International Organic Commodities, Santa Cruz, CA, notes that each time a new organic ingredient is made available, land has to be converted to organic agriculture in order to produce the raw materials. That, for many of us, is the ultimate goal.

Environmental impact is easier to comprehend when dealing with commodity foods such as milk, meat and produce. This is why marketers prefer to keep packaged-food formulations simple, using basic ingredients. Short and clean ingredient statements are perceived as being directly from Mother Nature.

When a consumer reads basics such as wheat, oats and sugar on a cereals ingredient statement, they make the connection back to the environment, says Marroquin.

Linderman adds: Theres a joke among us in the organic industry that the technology is available to make an organic Twinkie, but does the world need one? No!

Organic suggests an improved nutrition profile, as compared to non-organic, Linderman continues. This perception is an important image for the category, and one breakfast cereal manufacturers are best to maintain.

Holly Givens, public affairs advisor, Organic Trade Association, Greenfield, MA, adds: Organic consumers, in general, are seeking products that fit in with their idea of healthful living, so organic shoppers pay close attention to the ingredients in the foods they purchase. It does not surprise me that organic cereal manufacturers and marketers would choose to stay away from ingredients that discerning consumers, especially parents, might reject. In other words, overly sweet and colorful might turn Mom off, regardless if Junior finds the product appealing.

The raw material roster

Our approach to producing a great-tasting, nutritious cereal with ample shelf life is to choose only the finest raw materials, says Guru Hari Khalsa, director of research and development, Golden Temple of Oregon, LLC, Eugene, OR. Through experience, we have learned how to combine different ingredients to produce the most-favorable cereal. We try not to disturb the inherent preservative properties of these natural ingredients and have been very successful at preventing our cereals from turning rancid once opened, without the addition of antioxidants or gas flushes.

Jim Mitchell, director of innovations and development with Ciranda, says: The nutrition profile of like conventional and organic cereals is comparable, as displayed on the Nutrition Facts. The difference is in the unknowns, such as the presence of genetically modified grains or other ingredients, as well as the source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Because organic processing commonly leaves materials in a less-refined state than conventional processing, the amount of residual natural nutrients can be much higher, reducing the need for fortification by nonorganic ingredients, Mitchell adds. An example is bleached flour. The bleaching process results in a whiter flour, but destroys vitamin Ea natural preservativeand other nutrients in the flour.

Determining organic levels

Even though many organic cereal manufacturers choose not to add ingredients such as flavors, colors and antioxidants, such options are available.

Because of inventive ingredient pioneers, todays organic foods, including breakfast cereals, taste better, last longer, look more appealing and offer more value-added health benefits than ever before, says Mark Crowell, principal culinologist, CuliNex, Bainbridge Island, WA. And, even more than that, ingredient innovations, particularly innovations in minor ingredients such as flavors, colors and processing aids, have allowed cereal manufacturers to create more authentically organic products, bringing their products one step closer to 100% organic.

Whether the cereal is certified organic with 95% organic ingredients, or in the made with organic category, Marroquin adds that it should be the goal of every organic cereal manufacturer to take continual strides toward including as many organic ingredients as possible. Today, there are more minor organic ingredients than ever. Just five years ago, it was virtually impossible to find certified-organic inulin, guar gum, lecithin or rosemary antioxidant. Today, these minor ingredients, and more, are all available certified-organic.

Of ingredients and lists

Such minor ingredients are considered organic-compliant, and are listed in Section 205.606 of USDAs National Organic Program National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (sometimes known as the 606 list). These ingredients are nonorganically produced agricultural products allowed as ingredients in foods labeled as organic (made with 95% certified-organic ingredients) or made with organic (at least 70% certified-organic ingredients) because an organic version is not commercially available.

The 606 list is an ever-evolving one, says Linderman. Processors need to make a continuous effort to keep current and informed regarding the availability of new organic ingredients or else they may encounter regulatory issues when it comes time to get their certification renewed.

Theres also the 605 list. Section 205.605 lists nonagricultural substances allowed as ingredients in organic or made with organic foods. It includes nonsynthetics often used in breakfast cereals, such as dairy cultures, potassium chloride and yeast, as well as synthetics such as ascorbic acid, carbon dioxide, silicon dioxide and tocopherols.

Ingredients on the 605 list are organic-compatible, says Linderman. However, even though there are synthetic ingredients allowed in organic foods, there are ways to manipulate other organic ingredients to achieve like results. For example, organic rice bran extract can replace the releasing agent silicon dioxideon the 605 listin many formulations, including extruded breakfast cereal.

This ingredient option not only increases the overall organic percentage of the finished product, but also makes a cleaner, less-chemical ingredient declaration that sits better with todays organic consumer, Linderman adds.

Some listed ingredients aid shelf life, such as deodorized organic rosemary extracts, which can prevent the oil and/or fat in breakfast cereal from going rancid. These products are powdered for convenience, but liquid versions can be provided, says Rodger Jonas, director of national sales, P.L. Thomas & Co., Morristown, NJ. This natural anti-rancidity agent can effectively replace synthetic preservatives often used in conventional breakfast cereals to extend shelf life. He cites use levels of 300 ppm of the total weight or 1,000 ppm of the oil used, with addition during the mixing stage.

Manufacturers creating better-for-you cereals often choose to sweeten products with fruit ingredients, thus reducing added-sugar content. Plus, fruits naturally supply vitamins and other nutrients, and many exert antioxidative properties. We recently introduced an organic acerola cherry extract, says Jonas. Acerola juice has 30 times the vitamin C content of pure orange juiceand this powdered extract has even higher levels of vitamin C than the juice.

Another healthy ingredient hitting the organic radar is chia. We are working aggressively with a chia supplier to make organic chia available soon, says Marroquin. Our goal is to get chia off the 606 list.

Chia is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, continues Marroquin. It works well in breakfast cereal formulations as a natural source of omega-3s. Superfoods are the way of the future, and cereals are the perfect delivery vehicle for super ingredients such as chia.

Manufacturing organic cereals

The cereal manufacturing process is quite forgiving when working with unusual ingredients. One common form of cereal processing is extrusion. Twin-screw extruders offer exceptional flexibility for processors to create new products, modify existing products, tweak ingredient formulations or substitute ingredient types, and most manufacturers offer retrofit kits that provide additional options, says Mike Shaw, Eastern regional sales manager, Clextral Inc., Tampa, FL. In addition, processors can test products at extruder manufacturers R&D centers and produce breakfast cereals for consumer evaluation. This allows the breakfast-cereal processor to take advantage of the manufacturers expertise in processing different ingredients, and can minimize their development costs.

Whole grains are often used in organic products because they offer healthful attributes and appeal to health-conscious consumers, continues Shaw. Yet whole grains do not offer the same expansion as refined flours. However, this is not a major issue, because of the precise process control available with twin-screw extrusion. The twin-screw extruders precise temperature regulation, with heating and cooling functions in each barrel, as well as use of the many barrel injection ports and variety of screw profiles, can provide optimal processing of these grains and offer the flexibility to make parameter adjustments to get the desired product characteristics.

Marroquin sums up the organic cereal development process quite well: When you go organic, you have to be more nimble on your feet. Dont look at it like organic prevents you from using certain ingredients. Look at it as being guided in making the best choice for our planet.

Donna Berry, president of Chicago-based Dairy & Food Communications, Inc., a network of professionals in business-to-business technical and trade communications, has been writing about product development and marketing for 13 years. Prior to that, she worked for Kraft Foods in the natural-cheese division. She has a B.S. in food science from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She can be reached at [email protected]