Hostess Products

You may have noticed a new poll on the sidebar. The old one asked why hostess products don't taste as good as they used to.

The poll was split around 50/50, with a slight edge going to the people who said that I'm 31 years old now, and my taste buds are more mature. Slightly less than half of the poll participants voted that Hostess has altered the secret recipe.

Well I know you're curious, so the results are that everyone is right. I do have different tastes as a 31 year old, and hostess has also changed their twinkie formula over the years.

Here are some of the changes

Use of high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar
Use of whey protien instead of dairy (which has a more rounded out flavor but doesn't last 100 years on the shelf)
Use of cellulose gum as a thickening / moisture holder in both the cake and filling.

This is more of an FYI post. I had a conversation several months ago with a food scientist who clued me in. This particular person had worked for Hostess, as well as for Ralston-Purina. He said that every company is always looking for the next tweak in the recipe that will allow them to produce their product for less money, but still retain a taste similar enough that consumers won't notice, and demand stays the same.

A lot of people think the whole 'New Coke' thing back in the 80's was a publicity stunt designed as a distraction so people didn't notice that Coke changed their original formula from using sugar, and instead using high fructose corn syrup.

I don't really know for sure, but I still like my coke, twinkies, honey buns, and all that other unhealthy refined processed junk food. In my heart I know its not good for me, but once in a while....