Raisin bran
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Raisin bran is a breakfast cereal generally consisting of wheat bran flakes mixed with raisins. It is manufactured by several companies under a variety of brand names including General Mills' Total Raisin Bran and Raisin Nut Bran; and Kraft Foods' Post Raisin Bran.
Skinner's Raisin Bran was the first brand on the market, introduced in the United States in 1926 by U.S. Mills, best known for the similar Uncle Sam Cereal. The name "Raisin Bran" was at one time trademarked, but widespread use of the term to refer to any bran-and-raisin cereal caused it to become generic, so that it can no longer by subject to trademark protections.
Today, the best known brand is Kellogg's Raisin Bran, introduced in 1942. It is known for its advertising slogan, "Two scoops of raisins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran" and its mascot, an animated sun named "Sunny" introduced in 1966. Kellogg's now also markets a variety called Raisin Bran Crunch. Raisin bran is touted for its high dietary fiber content, but sometimes criticized for containing too much sugar; raisins naturally contain high levels of fructose.
Nevertheless, consuming pure bran (without fructose or a similar ingredient such as fig juice to add body and cohesion) can be dangerous, as the bran is sometimes so light and fluffy as to enter the trachea, during normal breathing, when the spoonful of bran and milk approaches the mouth. Entry of bran into the trachea is likely to cause spasm and gasping, with the possibility of anoxia.
External links
- Cereal.com (http://www.cereal.com/Breakfast-Cereals/raisinbran.htm)