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Raisin bran

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Raisin Bran
A bowl of raisin bran cereal
Alternative namesSultana bran
TypeBreakfast cereal
Created bySkinner Manufacturing Company
Invented1926
Main ingredientsRaisins 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

References

  1. ^ "What Is a Sultana?". wiseGEEK. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  2. ^ "Cereals That Aren't as Healthy as They Sound - Consumer Reports News". www.consumerreports.org. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  3. ^ a b Skinner v. Kellogg 143 F.2d 895. August 4, 1944.
  4. ^ a b c Dockter, Mason. "A brief history of a raisin bran conflict". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  5. ^ "SmartLabel". smartlabel.kelloggs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  6. ^ "Raisin Bran Deconstructed - Sugar and Fiber Math". HuffPost. 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  7. ^ Cudmore, Dale (2019-01-18). "Is Kellogg's Raisin Bran Cereal Vegan?". VegFAQs. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  8. ^ "Animal-Derived Ingredients Resource | Living". PETA. 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  9. ^ "Cereals That Aren't as Healthy as They Sound - Consumer Reports News". www.consumerreports.org. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  10. ^ "Kellogg Raisin' a Fuss; Cereal Maker Says WIC Food Guidelines Barring Bran as Too Sugary Are All Wet". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  11. ^ "Worst Cereals | Cancer Survivors Network". csn.cancer.org. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  12. ^ Han, Esther (20 April 2015). "Food health star ratings: Kellogg's reveals the cereal that gets 1.5 stars". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  13. ^ "SmartLabel". smartlabel.kelloggs.com. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  14. ^ "Bran flakes with raisins and added sugar promote plaque acid". 19 December 2009.