Lakeville-based MOM Brands, best known for its Malt-O-Meal brand, didn't fare well in a recent watchdog group's report on sugar in cereal.
Three of MOM's cereals made a "Hall of Shame" list of 12 cereals in the study by the Environmental Working Group. Along with Kellogg's Honey Smacks, two MOM cereals -- Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs and Mom's Best Honey-ful Wheat – led the list for national brands.
The ranking was determined by the percent of sugar in the weight of cereal. Each of the top three had 56 percent of their weight in sugar, the report said.
MOM Brands defended its cereals. "Our products run the gamut from being high in whole grains to high in sugar," said Linda Fisher, a spokeswoman for MOM Brands. "It's all about personal preference."
She added that MOM Brands does not advertise its cereal s children.
Golden Valley-based General Mills, one of the nation's two cereal giants along with Kellogg, didn't have any of its products in the study's "Hall of Shame." However, Mills had only one item -- Cheerios – ranked in the report's list of 10 least sugary children's cereals.
