>> Narrator: SHREDDED WHEAT IS A
BREAKFAST CEREAL MADE OF 100%
WHOLE WHEAT, SHREDDED INTO A
STRAW-LIKE CONSISTENCY, COOKED,
AND SHAPE UNDER TO A RECTANGLE.
IT WAS INVENTED BY AN AMERICAN
ENTREPRENEUR IN 1893 AFTER HE
MET A MAN WHO WAS EATING BOILED
WHEAT WITH CREAM TO ALLEVIATE
DIGESTIVE SYMPTOMS.
THEY MAY LOOK LIKE TINY BALES OF
HAY, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY A
TASTY AND NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST
OR SNACK.
SHREDDED WHEAT WAS THE FIRST
MASS-PRODUCED, READY-TO-EAT
CEREAL, INVENTED AT A TIME WHEN
PEOPLE TYPICALLY ATE A COOKED
BREAKFAST.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH WHOLE GRAIN
WHEAT.
THE RAW KERNELS ARE HARD AS
ROCK, SO TO SOFTEN THEM UP, THE
FACTORY COOKS THEM
SIMULTANEOUSLY IN WATER AND WITH
STEAM FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
AS THE WHEAT EXITS THE COOKER,
ITS MOISTURE CONTENT IS ABOUT
50%.
EXCESS WATER DRAINS AWAY
THROUGH HOLES IN THE CONVEYER
BELT.
THE WHEAT THEN TRAVELS THROUGH
A DRYER.
INSIDE, NOZZLES BLAST THE SOGGY
KERNELS WITH HOT AIR.
BY THE TIME THE WHEAT EXITS
ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE
COOKED KERNELS ARE DRIED.
THEY DROP ONTO A CONVEYER BELT
WHICH TRANSPORTS THEM TO THE
OPERATION THAT PUTS THE SHREDDED
IN SHREDDED WHEAT.
THE WHEAT GOES INTO SEVERAL
FILL TUBES.
EACH FILL TUBE DROPS KERNELS IN
BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS THAT APPLY
PRESSURE, SHREDDING THE KERNELS
INTO DELICATE STRANDS.
THE STRANDS DROP ONTO THE
CONVEYER BELT BELOW, FORMING A
FAIRLY EVEN LAYER.
EACH PAIR OF SHREDDING ROLLERS
DEPOSITS ANOTHER LAYER OF
STRANDS ON TOP OF THE PREVIOUS
ONE, UNTIL THERE'S A SPECIFIC
NUMBER OF STACKED LAYERS.
THE COMPANY WON'T REVEAL HOW
MANY, NOR WILL IT LET ANY CAMERA
PHOTOGRAPH THE NEXT MACHINE --
A ESPECIALLY DESIGNED CUTTER
THAT DIVIDES THE SHEET OF
LAYERED WHEAT STRANDS INTO
RECTANGULAR BISCUITS.
THE SHEET OF SHREDDED WHEAT
BISCUITS NOW TRAVELS THROUGH A
TUNNEL OVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY
10 MINUTES.
THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT GOES ON
INSIDE THIS OVEN ARE TOP SECRET.
ALL THE COMPANY WILL REVEAL IS
THAT THERE ARE TWO CYCLES,
BAKING AND TOASTING.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS
BEFORE-AND-AFTER COMPARISON, THE
BAKE CYCLE MAKES THE BISCUITS
CRISP, AND THE TOAST CYCLE
LIGHTLY BROWNS THEM.
THE NEXT MACHINE COMPRESSES THE
SHEETS WITH A BELT, WHICH
BREAKS APART THE INDIVIDUAL
BISCUITS.
SHREDDED WHEAT COMES IN TWO
VARIETIES -- PLAIN AND FROSTED.
AT THIS POINT, THE PLAIN ONES
WOULD BE READY TO PROCEED TO
PACKAGING.
HOWEVER, THIS BATCH IS
DESIGNATED FOR FROSTING,
SO THE CONVEYER MOVES THEM
ALONG TO THE COATING STATION.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING, THEY
BLEND AND HEAT SUGAR, WATER, AND
OTHER INGREDIENTS.
OVERHEAD NOZZLES SPRAY IT ONTO
THE PASSING BISCUITS.
THE FROSTING TAKES ABOUT A
MINUTE TO DRY AND SET.
HERE'S WHAT THE SHREDDED WHEAT
BISCUITS LOOK LIKE BEFORE
THEY'RE FROSTED AND AFTER.
ON THE PACKAGING LINE, AN
AUTOMATED MACHINE FORMS A BAG
OUT OF A CONTINUOUS SHEET OF
PLASTIC FILM, FILLS IT WITH A
WEIGHED-OUT PORTION OF SHREDDED
WHEAT, THEN SEALS THE BAG AND
CUTS IT FREE.
THE NEXT STATION INSERTS THE
BAG INTO A CARDBOARD CEREAL
BOX, PRINTING THE "BEST BEFORE"
DATE ON THE TOP FLAP.
THE BOX NOT ONLY SHOWS
CONSUMERS A PHOTO OF THE
CONTENTS, IT ALSO LISTS THE
CEREAL'S NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS --
THAT IT'S HIGH IN FIBER,
LOW IN FAT AND SODIUM, AND
CONTAINS ZERO CHOLESTEROL AND
TRANS FAT.
