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From high fiber to high sugar: How tortuous is the road to health for breakfast cereals?
Breakfast cereals have always been an important dietary choice in Western society, but their development has been a turbulent journey, full of struggles between health and convenience.
The history of breakfast cereals can be traced back to the late 19th century. With the advancement of processing technology and the surge in market demand, various brands of cold cereals emerged. From the earliest hot cereals, such as oatmeal and polenta, to technological advances in ready-to-eat cold cereals, many products have undergone processing methods such as extrusion to become quick and convenient breakfast options. These cereals are often served with milk, yogurt, or a plant-based drink, and sometimes have dried fruits and nuts added to enhance the nutritional value.
In the United States, breakfast cereals are often fortified with vitamins to enhance their nutritional content, but despite this, many products still lack sufficient vitamins to constitute a healthy breakfast. Initial marketing often emphasizes that these cereals are "part of a complete breakfast." There are many packaged cereals on the market that are extremely high in sugar and are often referred to as "sugar cereals" or "kids' cereals." These cereals are often marketed toward children, using cartoon characters to attract young consumers and often come with toys or prizes to boost sales.
Between 1970 and 1998, the most recent data available, the number of breakfast cereal categories in the United States doubled, from about 160 to about 340. As of 2012, there are an estimated 5,000 different types of breakfast cereals.
In such a fiercely competitive market, breakfast cereal companies continue to develop new flavors and diversify their products, many of which taste more like desserts or candies. While there are many plain-flavored wheat, oat, and corn cereals on the market, many other brands are known for their high sweetness, and some even contain freeze-dried fruit as a sweetening ingredient.
The breakfast cereal industry has a gross profit margin of 40-45%, and the market has maintained a steady growth trend since 2009 when market research pointed out that the market is expected to grow by 7.4% in the next five years.
Historical BackgroundCereals such as rice, oats, and corn play an important role in North American breakfast culture. At the end of the 19th century, with the rise of the concept of healthy eating, many studies on vegetarian alternatives were also carried out. 68
Early Development
In 1854, German immigrant Ferdinand Schumacher started a breakfast cereal revolution in his small Ohio store when he founded the American Oatmeal Company, becoming the nation's first commercial oatmeal manufacturer.
“Improvements in production technology and the introduction of German and Irish immigrants rapidly increased sales and profits.”
Over the next few decades, the production of breakfast cereals expanded and the market became increasingly competitive. In 1895, John Harvey Kellogg conducted the first experiment with ready-to-eat cereals in Battle Creek, Michigan, combining the concepts of health and convenience, and the subsequent introduction of Cornflakes quickly became a hit. It set off a trend and became one of the most popular breakfast choices in the early days.
After World War II, these cereal companies gradually turned their attention to children, reducing the fiber content in the cereals and increasing the sugar content, making these high-calorie breakfast cereals popular in the market. With the addition of toys and various cartoon characters, it has attracted the attention of more young consumers.
Health Dilemma
However, as health awareness increases, consumers are paying more and more attention to the nutritional content of products. Although high-fiber cereals exist on the market, overall high-sugar products still have a place, especially in cereals for children. But these health impacts are causing more discussion in society. Recently, a growing number of studies have shown that regular consumption of breakfast cereals is associated with a reduced risk of obesity and a lower risk of diabetes.
In today's breakfast cereal market, consumers are actually faced with an important choice: in the face of a wide range of cereal products, how to strike a balance between deliciousness and health?
