The Big Name Brand Believed To Be Behind Aldi's Millville Cereals

Most breakfast cereals don't exactly break the bank, but fans of discount chain Aldi might reach for its store-brand Millville cereals to save a few bucks. The label sells its own versions of many popular products, such as Fruit Rounds in place of Froot Loops, but the origins of these items are somewhat mysterious. Some fans speculate that the MOM Brands Company, formerly known as Malt-O-Meal, is behind them.

One of the facts about Aldi you should know as a shopper is that most of its products are private label, i.e., made by another company. MOM Brands produces many cheaper alternatives to big brand cereals, just like those in Aldi's Millville line. The most solid link between the two surprisingly comes from a 1998 Centers for Disease Control recall notice for a cereal made by Malt-O-Meal. Specifically, the report correlates cases of salmonella with boxes of Millville Toasted Oats purchased at Aldi.

Now, it's been some time since 1998, and Aldi hasn't publicized exactly who currently makes its cereals. However, comparing items sold by both companies reveals intriguing similarities. Malt-O-Meal Coco-Roos and Millville Chocolate Puffs are strikingly alike in terms of appearance, nutritional stats, and ingredients. The same goes for Malt-O-Meal Berry Colossal Crunch and Millville Berry Kids Krunch, as well as Malt-O-Meal Cinnamon Toasters and Millville Cinnamon Crunch Squares. You could argue that these products are merely following the same models set by name brands, but it's easy to see why some believe MOM is Aldi's supplier.

If MOM Brands really does make Millville cereals, Post Holdings also has its hand in the pot (or bowl). The Malt-O-Meal company got its start when the hot cereal of the same name was released in 1919, and the brand began producing several cold cereals in the 1970s. It was renamed to MOM Brands in 2012 to better reflect its expansive line of products beyond just Malt-O-Meal.

Post, the maker of famous cereals from Fruity Pebbles to Grape Nuts, acquired MOM in 2015 and still owns the brand as of 2025. Interestingly, Aldi does sell both Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles on its main website, and Millville Honey Crunch 'n Oats has extremely similar ingredients to Post Honey Bunches of Oats.

While some of Aldi's cereals are better than others, as shown by the Daily Meal's ranking of Millville brand cereals, you might be pleased to know that some of those cheap boxes are comparable to bigger brands. Millville cereals are an especially good money-saver when you use them in bulk for recipes, such as in cereal swaps for even tastier Rice Krispies treats and other creative ways to use breakfast cereals.

Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and Tasting Table.