TWINKIES — FAR FROM HOMEMADE™

RAPID REVIEW

Information updated March 2024

Hostess Twinkies are not what they used to be.

Once upon a time, Twinkies were made with a real Banana filling. Below is a print advertisement stating “Only sugar, shortening, milk and bananas go into the filling”. (Source: Historical Twinkies Print advertisement)

In 2024, Twinkies is owned by The J.M. Smucker Company which states, “Quality always comes first”.

Twinkies contain nine ingredients banned at Whole Foods Market >> ingredients which Whole Foods cite as “Unacceptable in food”. (Source for ingredients: The J.M. Smucker Company Hostess Web site 3/24; Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 3/24)

Hostess Twinkies ingredients include Tallow and Hydrogenated Tallow >> Tallow is derived from animal fat.

Twinkies are made using Bleached Flour, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavor, 2 Artificial Colors, 2 Chemical Preservatives and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate. Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Polysorbate 60 and Cellulose Gum are also on the long ingredient list.

No one expects Hostess Twinkies to be full of healthy ingredients, but these are so Far From Homemade.

Discover food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

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