Have you ever wondered how cornflakes are made? Or what they are made from? Wonder no more, because today we’re going to take a look at the process of making everyone’s favorite breakfast cereal! Stay with us as we go through each step, and learn a little bit about this iconic food.
In this article, we’ll answer the question, “How are cornflakes made?” Cornflakes are mostly composed of corns and various equipment at a manufacturing level.
How Are Corn Flakes Made?
Corn flakes are made from corn grits, as the name implies. Corn grains are cooked, dried, and toasted. As a result, corn grits are transformed into flakes that we consume for breakfast.
Corn products, on the other hand, generally contain corn flour, cornmeal, and corn bran. We use the term “corn grits” to refer to our product’s main component in terms of convenience.
At the Farm
It takes two months for corn to grow and harvest. The corns are transported to the mill after they’ve reached 5 feet in length. Then they’re sent to the cornflake factory, where they become finished goods for consumers.
First, the corn has to be peeled and the germ and flour must be removed.
The disadvantage of losing important minerals due to the removal of the flour, germ, and husk was previously addressed.
Whole-grain corn flakes are produced to meet the needs of the present consumer market.
As a result, the nutrients are no longer extracted during the separation process because to avoid waste.
1. Preparation of Corn Grits
The boiling process is the beginning of the whole kernel. Following this, the boiled kernels are dried, rolled, and roasted in several stages.
The process of boiling needs to be completed; either using a conventional technique or pressure boiling.
The corn is steamed in the pot during the hydrothermal process.
Using the slow cooker to dry processes food is not only healthy, but it also saves a lot of time. The slow cooker rotates while drying, ensuring that all of the kernels get equal treatment. Rolling may now be done with ease because there is no longer any need for additional processing.
On a perforated floor, pre-drying takes place. The cooked grits fall and combine with the help of four rotating blades. A vertical stream of air helps them to dry out after mixing.
2. Mixing of the Ingredients
The process of making cornflakes continues with the acquisition of corn grits.
Corn grits are measured out and weighed into a cooking vessel, after which additives such as malt, sugar, and salt are added.
The dried ingredients, such as grits, emulsifiers, and salt, are combined. Gelatinization is permitted to take place in a process known as.
The grits can then be cooked following the above steps after they have cooled and dried.
3. Extrusion/Cooking
Cornflakes are generally cooked in a steam oven, while extrusion technology is used to prepare corns. Traditional Corn flakes are prepared in a rotating steam cooker until they turn golden brown.
The grits in this case are held together less tightly than those produced by extrusion, as seen in the photo above. As a result, it must go through a dumping procedure. The grits are then cooled and dried after they are separated from one another.
The corn’s typical flaky form is produced via an extrusion technique.
The liquid is fed into a twin-screw extruder, where it is mixed with additives and transformed.
The combination of thermal heating and shear forces causes the material to break.
The homogeneous material is pushed out of the die after the thermomechanical treatment.
4. Flaking
The grits are spread evenly over the rollers and then rolled into flakes. The roller with hydraulic compaction pressure ensures that the produced corn flakes are of equal quality.
The product is now moved to flaking equipment, which is made up of thermo-regulated and counter-rotating cylinders. Then they’re left to dry and extra steps may be taken, such as sugar glazing.
5. Drying and Roasting
The flakes are now ready to be roasted and cooled.
The flakes are still flexible; to dry further, they must be heated in the roaster.
To make Corn Flakes, cornflakes are toasted in a suspended hot air oven. The quality of the flakes is determined by the speed and size of the drum’s perforations. The flakes remain suspended thanks to constant ventilation. Golden and crunchy flakes may be obtained using a rolling drum in around 90 seconds.
The flakes are blown away via a conveyer belt while cold air is directed on them to cool them down.
6. Packaging
Corn flakes are available in slotted and unpacked forms, as well as bags, boxes, and another packaging. Cereal packaging high-density polyethylene linings are moisture impermeable. Any moisture that comes into contact with these breakfast cereals might hurt the quality of the product. Water-based emulsions used in cereal packaging adhesives are susceptible to water.
Once they have been filled, bags are moved to printed boxes that will be ready to ship to the consumer market.
We went over how cornflakes are manufactured in this post. Cornflakes are mostly made of corn and other industrial equipment at the manufacturing level.
We went through all of the important phases involved in making cornflakes.
