Curious about how calcium carbonate can transform your cereal production?

Calcium is a vital mineral that our bodies need to stay healthy, yet many people around the world don’t get enough of it. Since breakfast cereals are a popular and convenient food choice, they offer a great opportunity to help boost calcium intake through fortification.??

Omya in Consumer Solutions ’s calcium carbonate (CaCO?) is one of the most effective fortification agents and it brings several important benefits. It is fully natural, has a low carbon footprint, and delivers a high concentration of pure calcium. Its range of particle sizes ensures excellent compatibility and makes it easy to use in various food production applications. It also enhances flow and extrusion processes, improving breakfast cereal processability, expansion, and sensorial quality. When added during the manufacturing process, calcium carbonate not only helps the ingredients mix well but also makes it easier to cook and shape the cereals, enhancing texture, puffiness and mouthfeel.??

Role of calcium carbonate in cereal fortification and production??

Cereal products, including breakfast cereals and snack foods, are an important part of diets worldwide. As more people focus on healthier eating, food manufacturers are adding essential minerals and vitamins to cereals to boost their nutritional value. One of the top choices for fortification is calcium carbonate, a natural ingredient that is sustainable and offers benefits during food production. This paper explores these key benefits in detail.?

High calcium content and bioavailability?

Calcium carbonate is packed with calcium – about 40% of its weight is pure calcium. This high concentration makes it one of the best choices for adding calcium to foods. Because it contains so much calcium, smaller quantities of calcium carbonate are needed to meet recommended daily intake levels compared with alternative sources such as calcium citrate, which contain lower calcium content.?

Table 1. Comparison of calcium content and solubility of different calcium salts.

Although calcium absorption from calcium carbonate is influenced by stomach acid levels, research shows that when consumed with food, it is absorbed just as effectively as calcium from dairy.?

Figure 1: Fractional calcium absorption from?cow's milk?and calcium-fortified?soymilks?measured by the dual isotopic method in 24-h urine samples from young healthy women (n?= 20 for soymilks,?n?= 19 for cow's milk). Values are means ± SD. Means without a common letter differ,?P?< 0.05. Zhao et al. (2005). Calcium bioavailability in fortified soymilk vs. cow's milk. J. Nutr., 135(10), 2379-2382.?

Stability and compatibility in cereal formulations?

Calcium carbonate is highly stable under normal storage and processing conditions, meaning calcium content remains intact throughout its shelf life. Omya’s calcium carbonate product range offers different sizes of calcium carbonate particles, allowing manufacturers to select the optimal formulation for their specific product needs. The fine particles mix evenly within the cereal, without affecting its taste and even improving its texture.??

Regulatory approval and consumer safety?

Calcium carbonate is approved as a safe and effective calcium fortificant by regulatory agencies, including the FDA in the United States, EFSA in Europe, and Codex Alimentarius. It is widely used in fortified cereals, dairy alternatives, and dietary supplements, with clear guidelines on maximum recommended intake to ensure consumer safety.?

Sustainability of calcium carbonate in food production?

The modern food industry prioritizes sustainable ingredient sourcing to minimize environmental impact and reduce carbon footprints. Given its totally natural origin and low carbon footprint, calcium carbonate supports these sustainability goals. Indeed, Omya’s calcium carbonate comes from natural limestone or marble deposits, which are abundant and renewable. Further, the process of extracting and refining calcium carbonate uses less energy compared to synthetic alternatives, helping to cut down on carbon emissions during production.?

Contribution to clean-label and plant-based trends?

As more consumers look for plant-based and clean-label products, calcium carbonate offers a sustainable alternative to dairy-based calcium. It is free from allergens, genetically modified organisms, and animal derivatives, making it suitable for vegan and lactose-intolerant consumers.?

Role of calcium carbonate in cereal processing?

In cereal manufacturing, particularly for ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, snacks, and puffed grains, the extrusion process shapes and cooks ingredients under high pressure and temperature. Adding calcium carbonate improves ingredient flow, enhances texture, and optimizes production efficiency, resulting in high-quality, consistent products.?

Improved flow and extrusion efficiency?

In simple terms, calcium carbonate serves as a flow aid in cereal manufacturing, preventing ingredients from clumping together in dry mixes. It ensures that ingredients move consistently and evenly through the extrusion equipment. This leads to faster production, lower energy costs, and a smoother manufacturing process.?

Texture improvements and expansion in extruded cereals?

Calcium Carbonate enhances cereal structure during the extrusion process, offering the following benefits:?

• Better crunch and crispness: Helps create the perfect crunch and airy texture in puffed cereals and snacks?

• Consistent product quality: Enhances uniformity in shape and size, ensuring every bite has an appealing texture and mouthfeel?

Prevention of stickiness and enhanced consumer experience?

During high-temperature extrusion, cereal ingredients can become sticky, causing mechanical issues and production delays. Calcium carbonate acts as an anticaking agent, preventing ingredients from sticking to the machinery and improving the production flow. By enhancing crispness and texture, it also improves the overall sensory quality, making cereals more enjoyable for consumers.?

Case study: Calcium-fortified breakfast cereals?

Calcium carbonate enhances the expansion index of breakfast cereals, leading to lighter and improved texture, and overall product quality. By promoting greater puffing during extrusion, calcium carbonate contributes to lighter and airier cereals. Additionally, calcium carbonate fine particles act as homogenously distributed nucleating agents for water evaporation, creating more uniform bubbles that will contribute to better cereal appearance and higher crunchiness.??

Figure 2. The graph shows the role of calcium carbonate in the expansion process. It represents the correlation between the expansion index, the particle size and the amount of calcium carbonate. The Expansion index (FIE) is?measured using this formula FEI = (DE / DD)2,? where FIE is the expansion index (no unit), DE the diameter of the extrudate (cm), and DD the diameter of the extruder dye (cm).?

Figure 3. The graph represents the correlation between the cereal’s crispness and the amount of Omya calcium carbonate added to the standard cereal. Crispness is measured using maximum force (N), determined by analyzing the texture of various cereal samples. The graph clearly shows that adding calcium carbonate increases crispness.?

Omya’s calcium carbonate: A natural choice for cereal fortification and process optimization??

As demand for fortified and sustainable food products increases, calcium carbonate offers an ideal solution for food manufacturers aiming to improve nutritional value, production efficiency, and quality sensory properties. Its addition to cereal manufacturing enhances ingredient flow and extrusion efficiency, contributing to a better consumer experience.?

Omya offers expert guidance and high-quality calcium carbonate solutions.

Contact our experts for tailored solutions and recommendations.??