Brain Twist launches cereal in a can

Breakfast in a can is what New York based Brain Twist has this month begun offering its customers, according to Beverage World.

The company's latest innovation is Liquid Cereal, a ready-to-drink beverage that blends breakfast cereal with fat free milk.

The product will be sold in four packs of shelf-stable 11-ounce cans and be available initially in four flavors, namely fruit, apple & cinnamon, peanut butter and chocolate.

The drinks - made from a patented process - are said to resemble the crushed remains of cereal and milk found at the bottom of your bowl, but with a healthier profile.

Larry Trachtenbroit, Brain Twist's CEO is quoted in Beverage World as saying that Liquid Cereal is lower in calories and higher in protein than most of its solid counterparts.

"It's actually got a better overall nutritional profile than a bowl of cereal. We've fortified it to become an excellent source of calcium and vitamins A, C and D," said Trachtenbroit.

He is reported as adding that the product is aimed at children and adults and expects to eventually roll out more adult-orientated versions of the cereal.

"The breakfast category is a $21 billion category and cereal's about a $9 billion category. I'd be happy to get just a little of that," he said.

Brain Twist was revealed to the market last October at the NACS Show in Las Vegas after being in development for three years.

BevNet was generally positive when it reviewed the drinks at the time of the show.

BevNet's least favorite choice was the fruit flavor product, which it awarded three stars out of a possible five, commenting that it was "perhaps the most innovative flavor found in the Liquid Cereal brand". It said that it bore a close resemblance to Kelloggs' Froot Loops, though concluded it was unsure if the product could be consumed on a regular basis.

"The sheer novelty of it makes it something that consumers are likely to try at least once, but we are much more likely to stick with the more traditional flavors of chocolate and peanut butter," said the drinks website.

Indeed, the chocolate flavor came out top with a whopping four and a half stars on account of its fidelity to its name.

"Chocolate Liquid Cereal is a beverage that really does live up to its name. The consistency of the product literally feels like finely ground cereal that is smooth, not mushy," said BevNet's tasters. And praised the use of sucralose, which "helps keep the calories relatively in check at 170 per can (and 21g of sugars)" and makes it highly competitive compared to other dairy-based beverages in the market.

BevNet was not too sure about the greenish color of the Apple & Cinnamon offering, but felt that the Peanut Butter variety was "worth a try".