| abstract |
Breakfast cereals are sweetened by treating cereal grains or at least one cereal grain fraction such as bran, with enzymes comprising glucose isomerase to produce fructose while retaining cereal particle discreteness or integrity. A portion of the starch and/or cellulose of the cereal grains or at least one grain fraction is enzymatically converted to dextrose or glucose which is converted to fructose by the glucose isomerase. Enzymes which may be used for the cellulose and/or starch conversion include cellulases, alpha-amylases, and glucoamylases. Enzymatic treatment with alpha-amylase may be initiated prior to, during, or after cooking. The enzymatically treated, cooked cereal grains are formed into breakfast cereal shapes and the enzymes are inactivated to provide a shelf-stable cereal product. The cereal products exhibit a sweet, pleasing complex honey-like taste and aroma. Producing fructose provides a greater level of sweetness for a given amount of starch conversion into low molecular weight reducing sugars such as mono- and di-saccharides. In achieving a given level of sweetness, more starch or high molecular weight dextrins may be retained for their matrix forming ability or for improved machinability of the enzymatically treated cereal grains into breakfast cereal shapes. The naturally sweetened cereal products of the present invention may be in shredded, flaked, ground, or extruded form. |