The ingredients in a chocolate whole grain cereal with marshmallows include: Who

Question

The ingredients in a chocolate whole grain cereal with marshmallows include:

Whole grain oats, sugar, marshmallows (sugar, modified corn starch, corn syrup, dextrose, gelatin, calcium carbonate, yellows 5&6, blue 1, red 40, artificial flavor), corn meal, cocoa processed with alkali, caramel and beet juice concentrate color, corn starch, salt, canola oil, calcium carbonate, artificial flavor, trisodium phosphate, zinc and iron, vitamin C, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, Vitamin A, folic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, tocopherols

Regular marshmallows (not used in cereal) have a water activity of 0.65. Cereal has a water activity of 0.3.

If these 2 ingredients were used in the processing of the cereal with marshmallow, what changes in water activity and moisture content of the ingredients and quality of the cereal would result?Discuss why.

What ingredients in the marshmallows do the manufacturers use to prevent the potential quality changes referred to in the above question (2.a.1))?How do these ingredients function?

Explanation / Answer

There will be an increase in the water activity and moisture content of ingredients during processing. This increase tend to create a disbalance in the system and will more likely make the cereal more vulnerable to attack by microorgansims. The physical characteristics of cereal will also be affected and it will have greater chances of getting spoiled.

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