# How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals

> A foundational 1896 patent describing the process of creating thin, toasted flakes from cooked grains, which launched the modern breakfast cereal industry.

- **Patent:** US 558393
- **Original title:** Flaked cereals and process of preparing same
- **Owner:** John Harvey Kellogg
- **Granted:** 1896
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 4
- **Field:** consumer_electronics

## What it does

The patent details a mechanical process for transforming cooked wheat or other grains into thin, crispy flakes. The grain is first cooked, then passed through rollers to flatten it into thin pieces. These pieces are then toasted to achieve a specific texture and flavor profile that remains shelf-stable and ready to eat with milk.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover the use of non-grain ingredients like sugar coatings or artificial flavorings.
- Does not cover extruded cereal shapes like loops, puffs, or spheres.
- Does not cover the chemical fortification of cereals with vitamins or minerals.

## The clever bit

The innovation was in the mechanical rolling process that turned cooked, dense grain into a thin, fragile flake that would toast evenly and stay crisp when submerged in liquid.

## Real-world examples

1. Kellogg's Corn Flakes
2. Generic toasted wheat flakes
3. Early 20th-century breakfast grain products

## Why it matters

This patent marks the birth of the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category. It shifted the American diet from hot, labor-intensive porridges to convenient, processed grain products, creating a massive global industry centered in Battle Creek, Michigan.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How John Harvey Kellogg Invented Flaked Breakfast Cereals cover?

A foundational 1896 patent describing the process of creating thin, toasted flakes from cooked grains, which launched the modern breakfast cereal industry.

### Who owns patent US 558393?

John Harvey Kellogg owns this patent, granted in 1896.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 558393 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent marks the birth of the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category. It shifted the American diet from hot, labor-intensive porridges to convenient, processed grain products, creating a massive global industry centered in Battle Creek, Michigan.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover the use of non-grain ingredients like sugar coatings or artificial flavorings.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/558393/corn-flakes-kellogg

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US558393

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Clarence Birdseye Invented Modern Frozen Food](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1773079/frozen-food-birdseye) — This 1930 patent describes the process of rapidly freezing food in small packages to prevent the formation of large ice crystals that ruin texture and flavor.
- [How Percy Spencer Invented the Microwave Oven](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2495429/microwave-oven-cooking) — This 1945 patent describes the process of using concentrated microwave energy to cook food, the fundamental technology behind the modern microwave oven.
- [How Cup Noodles Are Designed to Cook Perfectly](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3997676/cup-noodles-instant-ramen-ando) — A 1976 patent describing the specific shape, density, and placement of dehydrated noodles inside a cup to ensure they cook evenly and quickly when hot water is added.
- [How the First Automatic Pop-Up Toaster Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1394450/pop-up-toaster-strite) — Charles Strite's 1921 patent for the first toaster that automatically pops bread up after a set time, preventing it from burning.
- [How Early Industrial Food Mixers Used Planetary Gear Systems](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1264128/stand-mixer-kitchenaid-johnston) — A 1918 patent for a heavy-duty industrial mixing machine that used a specific gear arrangement to rotate a beater while simultaneously moving it around the bowl.