A food additive for improving sensory characteristics and providing nutritional value to cereals or cereal mixture with irregular surface, which consists of collagen peptides of terrestrial and marine animal origin, the composition of which is, in % by weight, from 14% to 18% essential amino acids, from 10% to 14% aspartic acid and from 18% to 22% glycine, from 23% to 27% proline and hydroxyproline, from 9% to 13% glutamic acid, from 6% to 10% arginine, and from 6% to 10% alamine, dissolved in 5% to 50% aqueous solution, which is used as a carrier for adding ingredients, to form a uniform glossy coating on the surface of cereals or cereal mixture.