Grain and Oilseed Milling NAICS 3112

Jun 21, 2025 - Less Healthy Breakfast Cereals

• A new study suggests ready-to-eat breakfast cereals marketed to children have changed in nutritional value over the last 15 years – but not for the better, EatingWell reports. The study – Nutritional content of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals marketed to children, published in JAMA Open Network – finds that RTE cereals now have more fat, sugar, and sodium, but less protein and fiber. Researchers examined all newly launched RTE cereals marketed to kids in the US between 2010 and 2023. (The study declined launch to include new packaging, new formulas, and completely new products, totaling 1,200 cereals.) The study found on average a 34% increase in total fat, 32% increase in sodium, and an 11% increase in sugar. Meanwhile, protein content declined from 2 grams to 1.7 grams, while dietary fiber fell from almost 4 grams to less than 3 grams. The study did not look at artificial ingredients in kids’ cereals.
• Ancient grains are making a comeback in modern commercial and home kitchens, at the expense of white flour, Food Manufacturing reports. Ancient grains are defined by the Whole Grains Council as those that haven’t been changed through breeding, and include buckwheat, amaranth, teff and Kamut, as well as seeds like quinoa known as “pseudocereals.” Food Business News reports that the US ancient grains market will grow from $90.4 million in 2022 to $142.3 million by 2028, a nearly 8% growth every year. By comparison, the all-purpose flour industry is expected to grow by only about 3% per year, according to a 2024 study. According to Brown University Health, ancient grains have more protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than refined all-purpose flours. In addition to health benefits, ancient grains are more sustainable, requiring less water, fertilizer and pesticides to grow.

• President Trump’s trade policy could present an opportunity to oilseed millers as import tariffs on vegetable oils spur the US crush industry to build new plants and expand capacity, AgWeek reports. Plans for domestic expansion have been hindered because the US market has been awash in cheaper global supplies of feedstocks like used cooking oil from China, tallow from Brazil, and canola oil from Canada. However, the USDA projects that global rapeseed oil supplies will shrink by 13% over the coming year with sunflower seed oil stocks down 24%. As US imports of vegetable oils decline, domestic producers will see increased demand and purchase more corn, soybeans, and other oilseeds from US farmers, who could see their export markets dry up if foreign nations, notably China, retaliate with tariffs of their own.
• Producer prices for grain and oilseed milling firms declined 2.3% in May compared to a year ago, after falling 6.9% in the previous annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices have been trending downward since peaking in mid-2022 when Russia’s war in Ukraine disrupted the agricultural supply chain. Employment by the industry grew 1.8% year over year in April, while average wages at food manufacturers rose 3.3% YoY in May to $23.98 per hour, down slightly from their peak in January, BLS data show. Payroll growth amid declining sales and prices for producers puts stress on grain and oilseed millers margins.