CEREAL BREAKFAST FOODS. 

 Chas. D. Woods and L. H. Merrill. 



The general use, at the present time, of cereals on the break- 

 fast table is largely due to the improved condition in which these 

 goods are now offered. Twenty years ago uncooked decorti- 

 cated oats, (sold under the name of oat meal), graham flour, 

 corn meal, and hominy, all of which required long cooking, made 

 up nearly the entire list of breakfast cereals available to the aver- 

 age housekeeper. Today it is possible to purchase at a moderate 

 price cereal foods which have been previously thoroughly cooked, 

 and subsequently dried so that they will keep indefinitely. 

 These are ready for the table without further cooking or, if 

 wanted hot, can be prepared in a few minutes' time. The process 

 of manufacture is hygienic and cleanly and will bear the closest 

 inspection. Starting from the elevator the goods are cleaned, 

 milled, cooked, evaporated, and packed by machinery. It is very 

 gratifying to find that this class of goods is free from adultera- 

 tion and careless preparation. The processes differ in dift'erent 

 factories and many of them are covered by patents. Some 

 goods may be better prepared than others, just as one flour is 

 better than another ; but there is no preparation on the market 

 so far as the writers know, but what is better prepared than any- 

 thing known to the generation which preceded us. 



The tables on pages 94 and 95 contain the description of the 

 samples, including name of goods, name of the maker, place of 

 purchase, the price paid, the weight of the package contents, and 

 the cost per pound. The goods were, with one exception, pur- 

 chased in Bangor the same day. It was found that the prices 

 at different stores were practically the same for the same goods. 



The table on page 96 gives the analyses of these foods cal- 

 culated to dry matter. The determinations were made by the 

 usual methods, and the heats of combustion were determined by 

 means of the Atwater bomb calorimeter. The fuel value is here 

 given per gram. 



The table on page 97 gives the results of the table on page 96 

 calculated to water content at time of the purchase of the mate- 

 rials. Fuel values as here given are calculated per pound instead 

 of per gram as in the preceding table. 



