It is widely recognised that the major problem facing civilisation today is finding that the last serving of breakfast cereal is full of skanky bits.

I propose that the cereal packets be maintained in an upside-down state right up to the point of sale. The aforementioned skanky bits will travel to the top, but then during subsequent carriage and use begin to resettle to the bottom. Thus providing a more constant ratio of large to small pieces throughout the product's lifetime.
-- Loris, Nov 08 2002

I like it. frostie sludge for me 3 times a day mmm.
-- Admiral Hackbar, Nov 08 2002


[Loris] Don't you run your cereal through a colander like the rest of us?
I’d suspect that fiddling (technical term) with the boxes is directly proportional to amount of crumbs. But an organized shipping flipping system, allowing for road roughness vs. truck suspension and travel time, could evenly distribute the various particles.
-- Amos Kito, Nov 08 2002


Aw, c'mon - who needs to read the label? All cereal boxes are color coded so the kiddies can recognize them.
-- DrCurry, Nov 08 2002


why dont you just open the box from the bottom?
-- notme, Nov 08 2002


I keep my cereal in one of those special tupperware like containers, stays fresher AND allows me to shake it up a bit when nearing the bottom, to prevent that last bowl being nothing but cereal crumbs. Bliss, doesn't the blood rush to your head?
-- rbl, Nov 08 2002


Obligatory umop apisdn post
-- thumbwax, Nov 08 2002


how about round box, with multiple openings? No stay crisp liner of course, but each time you go to have a bowl you roll the box along the counter for a moment. Granted it would make a mess of the grovery store shelves.
-- rbl, Nov 08 2002


They should tell make all the air you're buying a selling point. CHOCOLATE FIST-Os! WITH 30% MORE AIR!! [opens air seal] woosh.
-- Admiral Hackbar, Nov 08 2002


This really matters to you? I like settled contents.

But: just make the front and back panels identical, but print the front one way up, the back panel the other way up, and the side panels 50-50, so there is no real front or back or top or bottom. Then the things will have about a 50-50 chance of being flipped in transit.

Still, there's got to be one end that opens -- if you have possible openings, people will accidentally open both ends and get nasty surprises -- and the opening end will be the end that people tend to find and place on top.
-- horripilation, Nov 09 2002


think pancakes.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 09 2002


Presumably there is a distribution function that will model flake size. chi squared I'm thinking.
-- General Washington, Nov 09 2002


- I know it has something to do with the species of starch granules first. They're measured by laser diffraction. After that it gets a pasty.
-- _Mowgli_, Nov 09 2002


Store boxes on their sides - opening at one end.
-- whimsickle, Nov 11 2002


I think you can get individualy-wrapped cereal in California. Not like every flake but for bigger things, Logs of Bran and stuff. They do things right over there.
-- Admiral Hackbar, Nov 11 2002



random, halfbakery