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The article presents information on a study which described the manufacture of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals by mixing corn meal with ascorbic acid and sucrose or lowbush blueberry concentrate and twin-screw extruded. The use of blueberry juice concentrate as a natural colorant in breakfast cereal is detailed. It identifies the effect of extrusion and ascorbic acid fortification on anthocyanins.

Fruit anthocyanins provide color and health benefits, thus cereals containing these pigments could be used as functional foods. White corn meal with 10% sucrose was twin-screw extruded with either corn syrup, lowbush blueberry concentrate, or Concord grape-juice concentrate. Extrusion reduced anthocyanins, but there was no change due to storage at room temperature for 3 mo. Polymeric color was higher in the blueberry cereal. The grape cereal was lighter and less red than the blueberry product. Bulk density was highest in the corn-syrup cereal. Overall acceptability was higher for the syrup and grape cereals. Sweetness and flavor acceptability were correlated with overall liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]