Many cereal ingredients are actually types of flour, and not necessarily the most obvious ones a person might think of.
Grain and non-grain flours, wheat flour and corn flour are among the popular ones. Potato flour is also a good alternative for people who are coeliac or need a wheat or gluten-free diet.
However, there are other foods that also yield useful flour for the production of cereal goods.
Mung beans, sago, sour cassava and arrowroot are other products that make commonly-used flours.
Rice, barley, malt, corn, rye, buckwheat and oats are well-known elements of cereals, as are flax, quinoa, amaranth seeds, millet and sorgnum.
Manufacturers may make certain claims about the ingredients of their cereal products - ie, they might describe the goods as fortified or enriched, while organic, wholemeal and wholegrain are other popular claims made within this sector.
Food makers frequently hail the benefits of wholegrains when marketing these goods.
There is evidence to suggest they can help decrease the risk of some sorts of cancer and may be good for those trying to lose weight, as they are slow releasers of energy.
Global market data about bakery and cereal goods indicates that these areas grew by 2.7 per cent on average every year from 2002 to 2007.
Breakfast cereals are included in this information, which covers 60 countries throughout the world.
Market analysts Frost & Sullivan have also found data to indicate that cereals and bakery products are likely to do well within the digestive health market.
