Grain-based hot cereal compositions having reduced foaming
Grain-based hot cereal compositions having reduced foam capacity are disclosed. The compositions can include wheat farina, oat groats, rolled oats, and steel cut oats. The compositions comprise a stearyl antifoam agent that prevents boil over of the compositions during stove top or microwave cooking without adversely affecting the taste, texture, or appearance of the finished product.
1. A grain-based hot cereal composition, comprising:
about 55% to about 99.5% grain by weight, wherein the grain is selected from the group consisting of wheat farina, oat groats, rolled oats, steel cut oats and mixtures thereof; and
an amount of about 0.3 to about 1.5% by weight of an antifoam agent consisting of stearate, stearic acid, stearyl alcohol, stearyl ester, or a mixture thereof, wherein the amount of the antifoam agent is adjusted to reduce a foam capacity of the cereal composition by at least about 50% upon boiling in an aqueous mixture comprising about 2 to 8 parts of aqueous liquid for every 1 part of the cereal composition.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent includes stearyl acid.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent includes stearyl alcohol.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearate is a metallic stearate.
5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the metallic stearate is magnesium stearate.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent is a monoglyceride.
7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the monoglyceride is glyceryl monostearate.
8. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a fiber additive, sweetener, preservative, supplemental vitamins, supplemental minerals, thickener, flavoring agents, or colorant.
9. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0% to about 30% fiber additive by weight.
10. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0% to about 30% sweetener by weight.
11. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0 ppm to about 50 ppm of preservative.
12. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0.05% to about 1% supplemental vitamins by weight.
13. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0.05% to about 1% supplemental minerals by weight.
14. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0.05% to about 2% thickener by weight.
15. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0.05% to about 6% flavoring agent by weight.
16. The composition of claim 8 , comprising about 0.01% to about 5% colorant by weight.
17. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an inclusion comprising dehydrated fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts.
18. The composition of claim 17 , comprising about 1% to about 30% inclusion by weight.
19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent comprises a particulate having a particle size within at least 70% the average particle size of the grain.
20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent comprises particles of stearic acid.
21. A single serving pouch of a hot grain cereal composition according to claim 1 , the pouch comprising about 30 grams to about 55 grams of said composition.
22. A single serving pouch of a hot grain cereal composition according to claim 1 , the composition comprising wheat farina, oat groats, rolled oats, or steel cut oats.
23. A method of reducing foam capacity of a grain-based hot cereal composition, comprising adding to the composition prior to cooking about 0.5 micrograms to about 10 micrograms of a stearyl antifoam agent per gram of the composition, wherein the stearyl antifoam agent consists of stearate, stearic acid, stearyl alcohol, stearyl ester, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the amount of the antifoam agent is adjusted to reduce a foam capacity of the cereal composition by at least about 50% upon boiling in an aqueous mixture, and the cereal composition comprises a grain selected from the group consisting of wheat farina, oat groats, rolled oats, steel cut oats, and mixtures thereof.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent includes stearyl acid.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent includes stearyl alcohol.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearate is a metallic stearate.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the metallic stearate is magnesium stearate.
28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent is a monoglyceride.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the monoglyceride is glyceryl monostearate.
30. The method of claim 23 , the composition further comprising a fiber additive, sweetener, preservative, supplemental vitamins, supplemental minerals, thickener, flavoring agents, or colorant.
31. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0% to about 30% fiber additive by weight.
32. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0% to about 30% sweetener by weight.
33. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0 ppm to about 50 ppm of preservative.
34. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0.05% to about 1% supplemental vitamins by weight.
35. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0.05% to about 1% supplemental minerals by weight.
36. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0.05% to about 2% thickener by weight.
37. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0.05% to about 6% flavoring agent by weight.
38. The method of claim 30 , the composition comprising about 0.01% to about 5% colorant by weight.
39. The method of claim 23 , the composition further comprising an inclusion comprising dehydrated fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts.
40. The method of claim 39 , the composition comprising about 1% to about 30% inclusion by weight.
41. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent comprises a particulate having a particle size within at least 70% the average particle size of the grain.
42. The method of claim 23 , wherein the stearyl antifoam agent comprises particles of stearic acid.
43. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the grain consists of wheat farina.