560 THE SMALL GRAINS 



from the undissolved barley. Oatmeal water is a sim- 

 ilar preparation. 



610. Prepared breakfast foods. Among the first of 

 the modern prepared foods were the rolled grains. These 

 are prepared by cooking the hulless grain for some time 

 by steam, and then, while still wet, running it between 

 rollers, pressing it into thin flakes. After drying, it is 

 ready for the market. These rolled foods are always 

 supposed to be thoroughly recooked before serving. Some 

 ready-to-eat brands are simply cooked in water and then 

 dried and crushed. Some are a mixture of different grains. 

 Some have sugar, molasses, or other carbohydrate material 

 added to them, and some apparently contain caramel or 

 other coloring matter. The shredded preparations are 

 made with special machinery which tears the steam- 

 cooked kernels into shreds, and deposits them in layers or 

 bundles. Many prepared cereals are parched or toasted 

 before packing. 



611. Malted breakfast foods. In the manufacture 

 of certain breakfast foods, malt is added, the diastase of 

 which changes some of the starch into soluble forms. 

 These forms such as maltose and dextrin are more easily 

 acted upon by the digestive juices than the original starch. 

 It appears upon investigation that the amount of soluble 

 carbohydrates thus produced is much less than is claimed 

 by the manufacturers. The average amount in a number 

 of samples analyzed was about 5 % of the total carbohy- 

 drates. In most of the malted cereals it appears that very 

 little of the starch is converted into any soluble form 

 other than dextrin, and a part of that change, even, is 

 caused by the dry heat of cooking. The characteristic 

 taste of malt is relished by many, and the malted cereals 

 are often liked on that account. 



