Process for making shredded cereals

A process for producing a shredded ready-to-eat cereal substantially free of white streaks from at least one cereal grain selected from the group consisting of oats, barley, rye, wheat and corn comprising:

• (a) pressure cooking particles consisting essentially of cereal grains with water in at least two stages to eliminate white streaks or spots in the cereal caused by insufficient gelatinization or overgelatinization of starch wherein cooking in each stage is conducted at a steam pressure of from about 10 to about 25 psig, achieving temperatures from about 240.degree. F. to about 260.degree. F. for a time of from about 10 to about 25 minutes, the amount of water added in each stage being limited to avoid substantial extraction of gum and water soluble starches to the surfaces of the cereal grains, so that said particles are considerably free-flowing, the amount of water added in the first stage being sufficient to partially gelatinize the starch of the cereal grains, and the amount of water added in the remaining stages being sufficient to eliminate at least substantially all of the white portions in the cereal grains,
• (b) cooling to a temperature of from about 50.degree. F. to about 80.degree. F. within a time of about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes and surface drying the cooked particles so that at least substantially all of the cooked particles are discrete, individually free-flowing and non-interconnected particles,
• (c) shredding the discrete, individually free-flowing particles,
• (d) layering the shredded particles,
• (e) cutting the layered product, and,
• (f) baking the cut product.

A process for producing a shredded ready-to-eat oat cereal comprising:

• (a) pressure cooking particles consisting essentially of whole oat groats in the presence of water and steam in at least one stage at a steam pressure of from about 10 to about 25 psig, achieving temperatures of from about 240.degree. F. to about 260.degree. F. for a time of from about 10 to about 25 minutes to eliminate white streaks or spots in the cereal caused by insufficient gelatinization or overgelatinization of the starch, the amount of water added in each stage being limited during the cooking of the oat groats to avoid substantial extraction of oat gum and water soluble starches to the surfaces of the whole oat groats and to produce a moisture content of from about 40% to about 50% based upon the weight of the oat groats at the end of the final cooking stage, so that said particles are considerably free-flowing,
• (b) cooling to a temperature of from about 50.degree. F. to about 80.degree. F. within a time of about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes and surface drying the cooked particles so that at least substantially all of the cooked particles are discrete individually free-flowing and non-interconnected particles,
• (c) shredding the discrete, individually free-flowing particles,
• (d) layering the shredded particles,
• (e) cutting the layered product, and
• (f) baking the cut product.

A process for producing a shredded oat food product comprising the steps of:

• (a) pressure cooking oat particles with water in a first stage cooker and a second stage cooker to eliminate white streaks or spots in the food product caused by insufficient or overgelatinization of starch, wherein cooking in each stage is conducted at a steam pressure of from about 10 to about 25 psig, achieving temperatures of from about 240.degree. F. to about 260.degree. F. for a time of from about 10 to about 25 minutes, the amount of water in each stage being limited to avoid substantial extraction of oat gum and water soluble starches to the surface of said oat particles, wherein the amount of water added in said first stage is limited to achieve a moisture content in said oat particles of from about 15 to about 25 weight percent, based on the weight of the oat particles at the end of said first stage, and from about 15 to about 33 weight percent of the starch in said oat particles is gelatinized, thereafter adding sufficient water for said second stage to produce a moisture content of from about 40 to about 50 weight percent and to gelatinize from about 37 to about 50 weight percent of the starch in said oat particles, so that said particles are considerably free-flowing at the end of said second stage,
• (b) cooling and surface drying the cooked particles to a temperature of from about 50.degree. F. to about 80.degree. F. within a time of about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes so that substantially all of the cooked particles are discrete, individually free-flowing particles,
• (c) shredding the discrete, individually free-flowing particles, and
• (d) forming the shreds into biscuits.