Which Beracha does one recite when eating cornflakes cereal?
A fundamental principle in Halacha establishes that after a food has been processed to the point where it is no longer identifiable, it loses its special status and requires the recitation of the generic Beracha of She'hakol. Thus, although corn generally requires the recitation of Ha'adama, if it is ground or pulverized to the point where it is no longer identifiable as corn, the proper Beracha becomes She'hakol. Foods produced from whole kernels of corn, by contrast, would require Ha'adama.
Accordingly, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Russia-New York, 1895-1986), in an article that appeared in the 5743 issue of the journal "Le'Torah Ve'hora'a," ruled that one who eats Kellogg's Cornflakes recites the Beracha of Ha'adama. Kellogg's does not grind the corn when producing cornflakes cereal; the corn is simply mashed. Therefore, since the corn did not undergo a fundamental transformation over the course of processing, the Beracha remains Ha'adama. This is also the ruling of Chacham Bentzion Abba Shaul (Jerusalem, 1924-1998), in his work Or Le'tziyon (vol. 2, chapter 46).
It should be noted that other brands of cornflakes process the corn differently, grinding the corn into corn flour from which they produce the flakes. One who eats this kind of cornflakes must recite the generic Beracha of She'hakol, rather than Ha'adama. Therefore, one who eats a brand of cornflakes other than Kellogg's must verify the method of processing to determine the proper Beracha to recite.
Kellogg's produces other cereals from corn, as well, namely, Corn Puffs and Corn Pops, which are made from puffed corn. In the manufacture of these cereals, too, the corn remains basically intact and is not ground or pulverized; hence, the proper Beracha is Ha'adama, rather than She'hakol. Once again, one who eats other brands of these cereals must investigate as to the means of production in order to determine which Beracha should be recited.
Finally, Corn Chex cereal is produced from cornmeal, and thus requires the Beracha of She'hakol, rather than Ha'adama.
Summary: Cereals produced from whole corn kernels require the Beracha of Ha'adama, whereas cereals manufactured from cornmeal require She'hakol. Thus, over Kellogg's cornflakes one recites Ha'adama; when eating other brands, one must determine whether or not the corn is ground over the course of processing. By the same token, cereals produced from puffed corn require Ha'adama, whereas Corn Chex – which is produced from cornmeal – requires the Beracha of She'hakol.
