Ok, has anyone else noticed twinkies and Hostess products don't taste as good as they used to?

[quinnox]

We all know Hostess went bankrupt, and then did a comeback recently. But I think they don't taste as good, like they changed the formula or something. Anyone else think this?

[yourout]

1. Cheapened the ingredients and cheapened the work force.

Pretty much expected it.

[VanillaRhapsody]

2. Switch to Tastykakes...

they have always been better than Hostess products...

[Freddie]

14. You can tell Tastykake uses better quality ingredients

Hostess cakes always taste very "artificial" in comparison. Since Tastykake was sold I've been waiting for them to cheapen/skimp on the quality, but so far so good. The minute they do, we Philly folks will know!

[VanillaRhapsody]

35. My grandparents lived in Gloucester NJ....my grandfather worked nights at the shipyard...

One of my fondest memories are of hearing my grandfather say...

"WHO ATE MY TASTYKAKES!!!"

every time we again found his stash hidden in the freezer from us!

[RKP5637]

37. Hostess cakes always tasted to me like I was eating a bunch of chemicals, the texture

and the fake filling. I prefer Tastykake. Philly folks can kick their ass good if they cheapen them!

[Tom Ripley]

50. I had one of their delicious chocolate turnovers this morning

Breakfast of Champions!

[libodem]

3. Clueless

But I used to open one in my CNA class and let it sit for 6 weeks to show that it has so little nutrition, even bacteria wouldn't touch it.

[jmowreader]

65. It's not the lack of nutrition but the abundance of preservatives

Can't make a snack cake that'll survive nuclear war without them.

[libodem]

80. That must be it

Cuz once they dry out you could build a house with 'em.

[Tom Ripley]

4. But now you can really taste the scab!

[Iggo]

5. .

[Brickbat]

8. This.

[mike_c]

11. +1

[leftyohiolib]

24. yea now with extra scabs

[Purveyor]

28. Indeed +1 eom

[demwing]

6. I had not eaten a Twinkie in years

But I did so just to sample the new ones, and they really did not live up to my memory. Less fresh, less flavor, less fun.

[yeoman6987]

27. I actually forgot they are back

I have not had one in years because after eating one too many, I did not like them anymore. I do like the Tatycakes as it seems everyone else does to at least those who are commenting.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

30. at first I thought you said, "I forgot they are black"

as in...oh yeah. THey've always been black and filled with a salty goo.
lol

[yeoman6987]

63. I have been doing that today

I have been reading something written that is not there….more than once today. lol.

[librechik]

7. Gack! No!

[Cali_Democrat]

9. You eat that shit?

No wonder....

[elleng]

10. What DOES taste as good as it used to???

[dixiegrrrrl]

47. Not Folger's coffee

Mr. dixie drinks "commerical" coffee, he says Folger's tastes weaker than it used to last year, he has to use 5 scoops instread of 4 when making it.
I take his word for it.

Oh..and DiGiorno Pizza.....they changed the taste, more spices, less moouth fee, as a couple months ago.

[mockmonkey]

71. Nestles bought it

from Kraft a few years ago. Nestles went on a spending spree and bought a lot of companies.


I briefly worked at the DiGiorno/Tombstone/Jacks/California Kitchen plant when Kraft owned it. Is there any food production plant that is a pleasure to work for?

What is a moouth fee?

[dixiegrrrrl]

82. mouth feel is the sensation of food in one's mouth

In fact, a lot of the posts here have described it, when talking about "gritty" or foods being too "airy" ( not enough substance).

Nestle's is quite busy buying up access to water all over the globe. Nasty corporation.

[Lancero]

12. Tried one of the fruit pies...

Tasted like crap, although it was more because it wasn't filled. Only half the pie had filling in it, the rest nothing.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. They had already gone downhill before the bankruptcy

but, yes, they seem even worse now.

[rug]

15. Scab twinkkies.

[loli phabay]

16. never tried them so no idea.

[quinnox]

18. never tried the new ones? Or, never had a twinkie?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[loli phabay]

20. never had a Twinkie, kinda scarey looking.

[haele]

17. Yup. Tastes "heavier".

And grit your teeth sweeter.

Cheaper ingredients, almost like there's more "sweetener" (not sugar, but something that almost verges on bitter) and their recipe proportions have changed so that it's doughier. Probably more preservatives.

Haele

[laundry_queen]

26. I've noticed that 'taste' with a lot of processed foods.

It's changed...I can't really put my finger on it but the sweet is now a weird sweet. Like you say, bitter or something, and very salty. I like salt but it's a strange 'salt' taste. I know that salt is often added because it's supposed to make the sweet taste sweeter, but it's like they're using something that isn't sweet and trying to make it sweet by making it way too salty.

I hardly eat anything processed anymore. Even things like granola bars and cereal I can taste that 'taste'. ick.

[elehhhhna]

42. corn syrup. ewwww. they're smaller, too. they suck more AND they're smaller.

[TM99]

81. I like the occasional brownie

and it is getting harder and harder to find them without corn syrup. I finally found Ghirardelli's Dark Chocolate brownie mix with no corn syrup. And they taste miles better than any other brand. Corn syrup for me literally burns in my throat. It jacks my blood sugars far worse than fructose or straight sugar does. I avoid the stuff like the plague now.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

19. The Devil Dogs taste better

Not a Twinkie fan.

[madinmaryland]

21. Stop eating that shit!

[Iggo]

34. ^^^^ Also this.

[RKP5637]

39. K&R!!! n/t

[PasadenaTrudy]

46. Jeez

Eating like one a year does no harm. Hell, my mom lived on that stuff and made it to 88. She was healthy until the brain aneurysm. I sure don't want to live to 88, tho...

[bravenak]

22. Hell yeah!

I stopped eating snack cakes during the demise, and now the filling is grainy, you can feel the powdered sugar with your tongue. And the cake part is cheaper and undercooked.

And the donut gems. WTF happened to the gems, man! When you eat them you can feel the grease build up on the roof of your mouth.

I may not look like it, but I am a snack cake person. I have lost 15 pounds since this ordeal began, and I can't get back on entemanns or I'll get really fat.


Franz's had pretty good chocolate cupcakes comparable to what the hostess ones were like before, and their bread is as good as home pride.

[frylock]

57. Entemann's is the devil..

I have to keep that stuff out of the house!

[bravenak]

58. Raspberry Danish twist.

I will eat the whole thing standing up next to the microwave, warming it up, piece by piece and downing it with milk.

Can't even look at it in the store.

[frylock]

59. yep, that's my weakness as well

[840high]

61. Yummy.

[CFLDem]

78. Yes they are

[TeamPooka]

23. it is no longer sweetened with unionized labor.

So that adds a sour taste.

[wocaonimabi]

25. Stopped eating them when they became non union.

[JackRiddler]

66. Yeah, this is the reason.

Otherwise it's totally nutritious & without harm.

[wocaonimabi]

74. You want to spend your money on non-union products be my guest

just remember to remove the knife you are sticking in the back of union labor with every Ho Ho and Twinkie you eat.

[JackRiddler]

76. What's with the strawmanning, woca?

I don't want to eat that shit no matter who makes it, because it's shit. It's shit and it's very bad for you. It kills you. It's especially bad for the children, to whom this is marketed.

That's my point.

I also don't want to spend money on non-union products, or stick a knife in the back of union labor. I support union labor.

However, I can't believe the underlying idea here: that it would be okay if these poison products were made by union labor. I hope we're better than that. I hope we agree that, for example, making bombs to murder children in some foreign countries is not okay even if it's union labor.

Similarly, making addictive poison and selling it to children (that's what this company does) was always a very bad thing. Whether union or not. And this "food" was always shit.

[wocaonimabi]

83. If people want to eat poison that is their right, I just want them to eat UNION made poison.

[JackRiddler]

87. No, you're ignoring the children.

It is not their right. It is not Hostess' right to be brainwashing children through marketing and commercials into desiring that shit. It is not their right to hook children on sugar.

[wocaonimabi]

88. So the parents have nothing to do with it?

Parents are not responsible for their kids any more in this country?

It is called junk food because it is junk food if people want junk food so be it. I am not going to tell any adult what they can or cannot eat, drink or smoke nor am I going to tell a parent what they can feed their kid. If a parent is feeding their kid junk food to the point it is harming the child then the state can take the kid from the parent.

Yes under current law Hostess has the right to brainwash children, just like you do.

[JackRiddler]

89. Did I say that?

Sure, parents should be more responsible.

Did you have any children? Are you aware that this poison is universally available? Should you have to basically imprison your children at home, away from all other children and influences, so as to avoid having idiots feed them this sugary addictive poison? And should you be subjected to the marketing pitch 24/7 through the mouth of your own child? Should you have to insulate your child from all media to prevent these villains from trying to brainwash your child into wanting something that is poisonous for your child? (Also, should parents have to constantly deal with blase dismissals like yours, woca?)

Hostess may have the right, but Hostess is still a villain.

Not everything that you have a right to do is morally right to do.

In Sweden, advertising to children is banned.

It helps that the culture in this regard is on a much higher level, of course. There's no sneering and bullshit about how "it's everyone's choice." There's an understanding that it's disgusting shit that shouldn't exist in the first place, let alone be marketed to children!

[wocaonimabi]

90. Yes you did. This is America not Sweden as much as I agree with the Swedish on Government and

Society we are a more your own you own society.

As far as changing the laws I am 100% for it but I have a much higher list of priorities then children’s advertising.

[easychoice]

29. No,they busted a Union...Buh Bye...

[onecent]

31. The Wonder Bread they are selling now sucks ALSO. Twinkies

don't have enough white stuff according to my 12 year old twins. i never eat or have eaten
twinkies after tasting them once in the 50's....but their comeback FAILED IMO.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

32. I would say most of us had better get back to eating home made from the raw ingredients

due to our 2 year old son keeping us home more, my wife and I do a lot more scratch cooking. No, we cannot be certain our meats and vegetables are 100% pure, but it sure is better than buying packaged, processed foods which seem to skirt the very legal line of what is allowed to be called "food" vs. packing materials.

[snooper2]

33. I'm sure the cheap bastards

changed the equipment, recipe, packaging machines, and delivery



because we know the cheap bastards would "invest" in anything

LOL

[Jenoch]

36. I tried a Ho Ho and didn't think it tasted

as good as they did in my youth. They seemed smaller too. I have not eaten these products for many years. I guess I'm not in their demographics.

[Shrike47]

38. I ate a Ho Ho (well, most of one) They're really bad now. The filling is ghastly.

[HockeyMom]

40. Never ate them as a kid in the 50s or 60s

so I wouldn't know. Nothing to do with health crap. Just my personal preference.

[Niceguy1]

41. i tried a pie and their. chocolate covered donuts

And they tasted the same to me. Might be regional differences.

They are still better than the off brands that sprung up

[spin]

43. It's due to the bean counters. ...

Any company who develops a product that is well liked and successful has to beware of the bean counters in their organization.

Such people make their living by finding ways to increase profits and in order to justify their salaries they often don't just improve production techniques but gradually decrease the quality of the ingredients in the product. Any small changes in the product can increase profits enormously but can also ruin the reputation of the product.

When the bean counters are successful in producing a less expensive version of their product by cheapening the ingredients, they often force other companies to reduce the quality of their own product in order to compete.

Since the changes are gradual most people never notice the difference.

I've noticed the Campbell's Chunky Soups are getting less and less Chunky every time I buy them. In my opinion this product that was once a great meal now requires that I add vegetables and meat to compensate for the efforts of the bean counters. I've tried other varieties of chunky soups but they also seem far more watered down then they once were.

Of course the final solution I will eventually go to is to make my own chunky soup in a fairly large quantity at one time and freeze what I don't eat. It's a pain but the result will be a more enjoyable meal. It is possible that more and more people will decide to do the same and the profits made by companies like Campbell will decrease enough to cause them to once again produce a top quality product.

[dixiegrrrrl]

49. Speaking of Campbell's...

I had a craving for Cream of Tomato soup. Have not had that in decades.
Mr. Dixie had gone to the store, I had added it ot he list, when he broght it home I looked at the ingredients...lots of chemicals PLUS HFCS.
Figured one cup in 30 years would not kill me, it did taste good, but I can't do it again, not with all those chemicals.

Better off figuring out how to make my own out of tomato sauce.

scares me how much non-food is in stuff that people buy at the grocers...

[Gothmog]

44. When they rejected union contract, I stopped buying their products

I am boycotting their products in large part due to the way that this company treated its workers

[Blue Owl]

45. Nothing ever does

'Usta' be...'

[applegrove]

48. Have you gone into a bakery lately? There was one down the street. They used

corn syrup instead of sugar. Grocery stores too. Why wouldn't hostess follow.

[GP6971]

51. Bought them once

since they came back.....terrible!!!! Plus appeared smaller in size.

[Travis_0004]

52. The shelf life is 45 days, it used to be 26, so there were changes

Those changes were made by Hostess, a bit before their bankruptcy, probably in a cost cutting move, and the new company just continued that (or possibly made additional changes as well)

[JHB]

53. I don't believe I've had a twinkie since sometime during the Reagan administration...

...so no, I haven't noticed.

[DonViejo]

54. I stopped eating Twinkies on May 21, 1979, when a jury

found Dan White guilty of voluntary manslaughter, based on his "Twinkie Defense." White assassinated Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

[pscot]

93. I stopped eating twikies after the 1st one

[bigwillq]

55. I never thought Twinkies ever tasted good (nt)

[stage left]

56. Coming soon to a grocery store near you--

square Ritz crackers.

[theHandpuppet]

60. I think this is a suitable thread for the LOUNGE

General Discussion Statement of Purpose: Discuss politics, issues, and current events.

Not that it seems to matter to a lot of folks anymore.

[Historic NY]

62. What did you expect from Bimbo Bakery?

[doc03]

64. Never liked Twinkies. My favorite was Suzy Qs but I haven't seen any of those. We have a local

union bakery that always have made similar products anyway.

[JackRiddler]

67. This is a joke, right?

Shit tastes different today?

In general, let's try to get a sense of our values and priorities here. Selling poison to children is, clearly, an even greater crime than union busting. And this is what these companies do. Have always done. Even if the wages were good.

[mainer]

68. Or maybe you've gotten older and your sense of taste has changed?

Because I often hear people say, about many foods (both fresh and prepared) "It just doesn't taste the way I remember it."

[hlthe2b]

75. I think things sometimes taste different day to day, in fact...

Even things like tea--using same tea, same brewing process.

But, yes, my "likes" have changed mightily over the years.

That said, I haven't had a twinkie or other "hostess" produc since my teens. But, it surely would not surprise me that they have cheapened the recipe.

[Inkfreak]

69. I love how many people have to point out they NEVER eat them.

Yes. They do taste a lil different IMO. I'll eat one every now and again. I like sweet stuff. And the Dr. says I'm perfectly healthy, imagine that.

[MrScorpio]

70. A while back I wrote about my disappointment with a Hostess fruit pie.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021837122

[mockmonkey]

72. Remove Trans fats...

and most everything tastes meh!

[mucifer]

73. Good. I hope no one eats that crap for so many reasons.

[Historic NY]

77. Actually they made them a bit more healthier.....

'New' Twinkies weigh less, have fewer calories

<The new boxes hitting shelves list the cakes as having 270 calories and a weight of 77 grams for two cakes, or 135 calories and 38.5 grams for one cake.

Right before it went out of business, the predecessor company had told The Associated Press that Twinkies were 150 calories per cake. Photos of past boxes online also indicate the weight to have been 42.5 grams per cake.

A spokeswoman for Hostess, Hannah Arnold, said in an email Monday that the size change was made in "mid-2012" by the predecessor company. That would mean it happened in the months leading up to its bankruptcy, as the company was trying to keep its head above water financially.>



http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/07/15/twinkies-release-smaller/2517709/

[HappyMe]

79. I thought it was me.

They don't taste as good as they used to.

[bemildred]

84. No, that would require eating them. nt

[malthaussen]

85. I had some a month or so ago, didn't notice a difference.

Maybe my Junk Food Palate isn't as refined as it should be.

-- Mal

[LadyHawkAZ]

86. No, the reason being that I have not bought them since they busted the union

and will not buy them again. Fuck Hostess.

[DefenseLawyer]

91. I wouldn't know

I don't buy their scab cupcakes

[aikoaiko]

92. I noticed. :-((((((((((