Biology:Raisin Bran
 A bowl of raisin bran cereal | |
| Alternative names | Sultana bran |
|---|---|
| Type | Breakfast cereal |
| Created by | Skinner Manufacturing Company |
| Invented | 1926 |
| Main ingredients | Raisins and bran flakes |
Raisin bran (sultana bran in some countries[1]) is a breakfast cereal containing raisins and bran flakes. Raisin bran is manufactured by several companies under a variety of brand names, including the popularly known Kellogg's Raisin Bran, General Mills' Total Raisin Bran, and Post Cereals' Raisin Bran. This popular breakfast cereal is a staple in households all over the United States because of its advertised nutritional value.[2]
History
Skinner's Raisin-BRAN was the first raisin bran brand on the market, introduced in the United States in 1926 by the Skinner Manufacturing Company.[3] For 17 years, Skinner had ownership over the product's name, until Kellogg's and Post began to sell their own versions of raisin bran.[4] With concerns of losing money within grocery store sales, Skinner filed a cease-and-desist in an attempt to keep ownership over his raisin bran product.[4]
The name "Raisin-BRAN" was at one time trademarked by Skinner, however in 1944 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found:
- The name "Raisin-BRAN" could not be appropriated as a trade-mark, because: "A name which is merely descriptive of the ingredients, qualities or characteristics of an article of trade cannot be appropriated as a trademark and the exclusive use of it afforded legal protection. The use of a similar name by another to truthfully describe his own product does not constitute a legal or moral wrong, even if its effect be to cause the public to mistake the origin or ownership of the product."[3] Now, any brand or manufacturer may create their own version of raisin bran and name it just that.[4]
Ingredients
Kellogg's Raisin Bran, according to their Smartlabel, contains the following ingredients: whole grain wheat, raisins, wheat bran, sugar, brown sugar syrup, malt flavor, salt, and assorted vitamins and minerals.[5][6] The cereal's vitamin D3 supplementation is made from lanolin, which is an animal product, rendering it as a non-vegan breakfast cereal.[7][8]
Health effects
Raisin bran cereal is commonly referred to as a "healthy" breakfast cereal because of its high fiber content, but according to Consumer Reports, Kellogg's Raisin Bran actually has a low nutrition rating.[9]
In 1991, Kellogg's complained that WIC program guidelines did not allow for the purchase of Kellogg's Raisin Bran for containing too much sugar.[10] Currently, with 17 grams of sugar, it actually has a higher content of sugar than Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs, and Cocoa Krispies (all known to be "sugary" cereals).[11]
On the other hand, Kellogg's Sultana Bran received 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Australian Government's Health Star Rating System.[12] In addition, a plain serving of Kellogg's Raisin Bran provides 80% of the Daily Value of manganese and 6% of the Daily Value of potassium, both important nutrients for the body.[13]
Research suggests that eating commercially produced raisin bran containing sugared raisins elevates dental acids to plaque-forming levels, while home-made raisin bran, created by adding unsugared raisins to bran flakes, does not produce this effect.[14]
Manufacturers
- Kellogg's
- Post Consumer Brands
- General Mills
References
- ↑ "What Is a Sultana?". wiseGEEK. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-sultana.htm. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
- ↑ "Cereals That Aren't as Healthy as They Sound - Consumer Reports News" (in en-US). https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/09/cereals-that-aren-t-as-healthy-as-they-sound/index.htm.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Skinner v. Kellogg 143 F.2d 895. August 4, 1944.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dockter, Mason. "A brief history of a raisin bran conflict" (in en). https://siouxcityjournal.com/coffee_break/a-brief-history-of-a-raisin-bran-conflict/article_1f7841d5-4200-5c3d-b7a1-90ffc25d30b6.html.
- ↑ "SmartLabel". http://smartlabel.kelloggs.com/Product/Index/00038000596650#ingredients.
- ↑ "Raisin Bran Deconstructed - Sugar and Fiber Math" (in en). 2010-06-28. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/raisin-bran-deconstructed_b_552981.
- ↑ Cudmore, Dale (2019-01-18). "Is Kellogg's Raisin Bran Cereal Vegan?" (in en-US). https://vegfaqs.com/is-kelloggs-raisin-bran-cereal-vegan/.
- ↑ "Animal-Derived Ingredients Resource | Living" (in en-US). 2012-04-18. https://www.peta.org/living/food/animal-ingredients-list/.
- ↑ "Cereals That Aren't as Healthy as They Sound - Consumer Reports News" (in en-US). https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/09/cereals-that-aren-t-as-healthy-as-they-sound/index.htm.
- ↑ "Kellogg Raisin' a Fuss; Cereal Maker Says WIC Food Guidelines Barring Bran as Too Sugary Are All Wet". The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1081023.html. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ↑ "Worst Cereals | Cancer Survivors Network". https://csn.cancer.org/node/190799.
- ↑ Han, Esther (20 April 2015). "Food health star ratings: Kellogg's reveals the cereal that gets 1.5 stars". http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/food-health-star-ratings-kelloggs-reveals-the-cereal-that-gets-15-stars-20150420-1mop9e.html.
- ↑ "SmartLabel". http://smartlabel.kelloggs.com/Product/Index/00038000596650.
- ↑ "Bran flakes with raisins and added sugar promote plaque acid". 19 December 2009. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20091219/Bran-flakes-with-raisins-and-added-sugar-promote-plaque-acid.aspx.
External links
- Post Raisin Bran Official website
- Sultana Bran
- All-Bran Sultana Bran
- A quantitative analysis of Kellogg's Raisin Bran (Science Creative Quarterly)
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