Narrator: BREAKFAST CEREAL IS
MOST COMMONLY MADE
FROM SUCH GRAINS AS WHEAT,
CORN, RICE, AND OATS.
OATS ARE A POPULAR CHOICE
FOR HEALTH REASONS.
THEY CONTAIN A SOLUBLE FIBER
CALLED BETA-GLUCAN,
WHICH, WHEN CONSUMED
REGULARLY,
HELPS MAINTAIN
NORMAL BLOOD CHOLESTEROL
LEVELS.
THESE TASTY LITTLE OAT "O"s
COME READY TO EAT
IN A BOWL WITH MILK
OR DRY AS AN EASY
AND PORTABLE CRUNCHY SNACK.
AT THE CEREAL FACTORY,
PRODUCTION BEGINS
WITH THE BULK INGREDIENTS,
MAINLY OAT FLOUR
AND WHEAT STARCH.
AFTER THE MIXER BLENDS
THESE INGREDIENTS THOROUGHLY,
AN AIR-DRIVEN TUBULAR CONVEYER
TRANSFERS THEM
TO THE NEXT STATION,
WHICH BLENDS IN
THE LESSER-QUANTITY
INGREDIENTS,
PRIMARILY SALT
AND FORTIFYING MINERALS
SUCH AS CALCIUM.
THE ENTIRE DRY MIX IS SIFTED,
THEN TRANSFERRED
TO THE NEXT STATION,
WHICH ADDS WATER
TO TRANSFORM IT INTO DOUGH.
THEN THE MACHINE COOKS THE
DOUGH
BY HEATING IT WITH STEAM
FOR APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE.
AN EXTRUSION MACHINE
NOW COMPRESSES THE DOUGH
AND FORCES IT THROUGH
A STAINLESS-STEEL FORMING DIE.
THE FORMING DIE IS A LARGE
DISC
WITH HUNDREDS
OF LITTLE "O"-SHAPED HOLES.
THE DOUGH EXITS THE DIE HOLES
AS LONG "O"-SHAPED TUBES,
WHICH KNIVES THEN CUT
INTO INDIVIDUAL "O"s.
AT THIS POINT,
THE CEREAL'S MOISTURE CONTENT
IS ABOUT 30%.
IN ORDER FOR THE "O"s
TO BE CRUNCHY,
THAT HAS TO BE REDUCED
TO ABOUT 3%.
SO THE NEXT STATION
SPREADS THEM OUT ON A
CONVEYER,
WHICH TRAVELS THROUGH
A WARM-AIR DRYING TUNNEL
FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.
WHEN THE CEREAL EXITS THE
DRYER,
THE MOISTURE CONTENT IS
DOWN TO ABOUT 11%.
THE NEXT OPERATION IS
SO TOP-SECRET,
THE COMPANY WON'T
LET US SHOW IT.
IT'S CALLED EXPANSION.
A HEATING PROCESS TURNS THE
MOISTURE IN THE "O"s TO STEAM.
THIS EXPANDING STEAM
PUFFS THE "O"s
MUCH THE WAY
HOT AIR POPS POPCORN.
THIS IS WHAT THE "O"s LOOK
LIKE
PRIOR TO EXPANSION...
AND AFTER.
THEY LIGHTEN IN COLOR
DUE TO THE AIR INSIDE.
NEXT,
THE CEREAL TRAVELS OVER
SCREENS.
THE MESH IS JUST THE RIGHT
SIZE
TO LET THE "O"s REMAIN ON TOP,
AND ANY SMALLER, BROKEN PIECES
FALL THROUGH.
NOW THE CEREAL ENTERS
THE COATING STATION.
THE COATING IS A COMBINATION
OF SUGAR AND WATER,
WITH WATER BOILED OUT
TO REDUCE THE MIXTURE
TO A CONCENTRATED SYRUP.
THE CEREAL ENTERS
A COATING DRUM.
INSIDE, TWO NOZZLES SPRAY
THE SYRUP ON THE "O"s.
CONTINUAL ROTATION ENSURES
THE APPLICATION IS
THOROUGH AND EVEN.
TO DRY THE COATING
AND FURTHER DRY THE CEREAL,
THE "O"s NOW TRAVEL ON A BELT
THROUGH ANOTHER WARM-AIR DRYER
FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
THIS REDUCES
THE CEREAL'S MOISTURE CONTENT
TO THE TARGET LEVEL OF 3%.
FOR QUALITY CONTROL,
THE FACTORY REGULARLY TESTS
SAMPLES OF THE FINISHED
PRODUCT.
FIRST MEASURING
THE MOISTURE CONTENT...
THEN CHECKING THE DENSITY,
WHICH IS CALCULATED BY
WEIGHING
A SPECIFIC QUANTITY OF CEREAL.
ASSUMING EVERYTHING CHECKS
OUT,
THE CEREAL PROCEEDS
TO PACKAGING.
THE PACKAGING MACHINE FEEDS
PLASTIC FILM AROUND A FILL
TUBE,
WHICH DROPS IN
20 OUNCES OF CEREAL.
HEAT SEALS THE TOP OF THE BAG
AS WELL AS THE BOTTOM
OF WHAT WILL BE THE NEXT BAG,
THEN CUTS THE FILLED BAG LOOSE
TO THE CONVEYER BELT BELOW.
IT PASSES THE BAGS
THROUGH A METAL DETECTOR
TO ENSURE NO FOREIGN OBJECT
FELL IN ACCIDENTALLY
DURING PRODUCTION.
THE NEXT MACHINE SLIDES EACH
BAG
INTO A CEREAL CARTON,
STAMPS ON THE EIGHT-MONTH
"BEST BEFORE" DATE,
THEN SEALS THE CARTON FLAP
SHUT
WITH FOOD-GRADE HOT GLUE.
AS EACH BOX OF CEREAL
EXITS THE PRODUCTION LINE,
IT PASSES OVER
WHAT'S CALLED A CHECK WEIGHER,
A SCALE WHICH ENSURES
THE PACKAGE CONTAINS
THE CORRECT QUANTITY
OF OAT CEREAL.
