The tastier the breakfast cereal, the less nutritious it may be

The same chemical process that makes breakfast cereal tasty can also make it less nutritious, according to a recent Spanish research study in the journal Food Chemistry. For example, breakfast puffs contain less nutritionally available protein than flakes.

The difference derives from the cooking technique, the study suggests. A chemical process called the Maillard reaction affects both flavour and nutrition in cereals.

The reaction, which is usually induced by heat, sugars and amino acids interact to produce odour and flavour molecules and gives many foods their characteristic toasty, golden brown qualities. But it also reduces bioavailability of nutrients and it can lead to the formation of contaminants.

The research studied 60 packaged cold cereals, measuring the amount of a chemical produced during the Maillard reaction, furosine. More furosine means less nutritionally available protein.

The researchers found no significant differences among wheat, rice and corn-based cereals, but flaked cereals tended to have less furosine than puffed varieties – which required cooking at higher temperatures. Cereals with added dietary fibre had the highest furosine levels.

In the future, the researchers hope their findings may lead to healthier preparation methods for cold cereals and other processed foods.