A A C C   2 0 0 0   A n n u a l   M e e t i n g

Global the production of ready to eat cereals now exceeds 7 billion kilos per year. Growth in the RTE cereal market is driven by consumer demands for new and improved products. Cereal manufacturers use the Toasting operation to differentiate product attributes. Toasting influence characteristics that control a product's consumer appeal; flavor, color and texture. In this paper the concept of critical moisture content is utilized to break the toasting operation into phases. Application of toasting phases will allow us the opportunity to design the toasting operation to best fit the product characteristics desired. Histograms are presented to describe the increase of cereal temperature, and the rate of moisture loss. In addition, relationships between cereal temperature, puffing, and browning reactions are postulated. A discussion of the air movement and the product movement inside a Wolverine Jetzone® Fluidized Bed Dryer is made to assist in the optimization of the operations.