Grain Color Measurement

Cereals are a staple food item for most consumers, found in over 90% of households globally. Cereals are typically prepared from grasses such as wheat, oats, corn and other starchy grains or their edible seed or fruit such as buckwheat or grain amaranth. As with most food products, a consumer's perception of the flavor of a cereal is closely tied to its color. HunterLab was the first company to receive USDA approval for the instrumental evaluation of food color, and many of the world's top producers of cereal products, including General Mills, Kelloggs, Purina and Gilster-Mary Lee, rely on HunterLab solutions for color management and quality control of their products.

Grains are the ingredients that are eventually processed into consumable cereals. Grains include maize, wheat, rice, oats and rye among many others. Variations in growing season, ingredients, additives, process variations, storage methods and time can affect food color, so food processors pay close attention to the color of raw materials and to the changes that occur with each step of production, including monitoring color during storage and distribution.

Granola is a popular breakfast food that consists of rolled oats, nuts and honey. The granola is stirred during baking to maintain a loose, cereal-type consistency.