Baking
Hostess Picks Grupo Bimbo to Buy Beefsteak Bread
March 1, 2013 9:48 am | News | CommentsHostess is choosing Mexico's Grupo Bimbo as the buyer for its Beefsteak bread brand. Hostess said a $31.9 million bid by the maker of Entenmann's cakes beat out another offer by Flowers Foods, which makes Tastykakes and Nature's Own bread. Beefsteak is a regional rye bread available in some states.
Chefs Whip Up Tobacco Cuisine at Cigar Festival
March 1, 2013 9:46 am | by PETER ORSI,Associated Press | News | CommentsTobacco: It's what's for dinner. A team of Croatian chefs whipped up a pungent meal Thursday, infusing the flavor of the tobacco leaf synonymous with Cuba into baked stone bass filets, bread and butter, a rich demi-glace sauce, even ice cream.
Daily Sound Bite: Hostess Sale Leaves Union Uneasy
February 28, 2013 12:39 pm | News | CommentsThe sale of Wonder bread by the now bankrupt Hostess to Flowers Foods may save the iconic lunchtime brand, but the future of the employees is still uncertain. The union objected to the sale in court filings, noting that Flowers Foods has not agreed to preserve any jobs.
Plastic Pieces Found in Recalled Bread
February 28, 2013 12:07 pm | News | CommentsFred Meyer has recalled five types of private label wheat bread after discovering pieces of plastic in loaves delivered to stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The Oregonian reports the bread was also sold in QFC stores in Oregon and Washington. They all featured March 8 sell-by date.
Hostess Sale of Wonder Bread Nears Completion
February 28, 2013 9:31 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsWonder bread could start appearing in school lunchboxes again soon. A person familiar with the situation says a bid by Flowers Foods to buy Wonder and several other bread brands from bankrupt Hostess was met with no qualifying competing offers. The individual requested anonymity because the auction process is private.
Consumer Trends: St. Patrick's Day Treats
February 22, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsIn the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, McCormick is inviting everyone to give their holiday celebrations a splash of color and flavor with new recipes and a guide to tinting baked goods green in seven shades — from mint to emerald. Emerald green may be this year’s favorite color, but the demand for green food color isn’t new.
Ex-Hostess Workers Eligible for Federal Aid
February 20, 2013 12:08 pm | News | CommentsIowa workers who lost jobs when Hostess Brands went out of business are eligible for federal income, training and job search benefits. The maker of Twinkies and other snacks ceased operations in November, laying off dozens of workers at a Waterloo bakery and distribution center, as well as truck drivers and local retail employees in Iowa.
Convenience at Your Fingertips
February 12, 2013 9:27 am | by Bernd Steppeler, Design Engineer, HAVER Filling Systems | Articles | CommentsNew mobile technology allows a cake mix supplier to video conference with an equipment manufacturer while standing in front of the inoperable equipment. By using a small tablet device, equipped with a camera and linked directly to software in the filling machine, the plant operator can show the service team the exact problem while monitoring operational data.
Flowers Foods Profit Climbs After Hostess Demise
February 7, 2013 12:18 pm | News | CommentsFlowers Foods said Thursday that its profit rose by 67 percent in the fourth quarter, as the maker of Tastykakes and various breads benefited from acquisitions and the demise of rival Hostess Brands. The company, based in Thomasville, Ga., said sales volume rose 10 percent for the October to December period. Its purchase of Lepage Bakeries, which makes Nature's Own bread, contributed to the quarter's sales.
Stolen Giant Cookie Sculpture Recovered in Germany
February 7, 2013 9:30 am | News | CommentsGerman police have recovered a cookie sculpture that may have been stolen by someone impersonating the Cookie Monster. Spokeswoman Jacobe Heers says the 20-kilogram (44 pound) gilded sculpture was found Tuesday morning outside a university. It was hanging from the neck of a horse sculpture with a red ribbon.
Photo of the Day: Cookie Monster Blackmails Bakery
February 7, 2013 9:22 am | News | CommentsA police officer holds a golden Leibniz cookie in front of the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, Tuesday Feb. 5, 2013. It is still not clear if the cookie belongs to the Bahlsen House, which reported theft in January. Someone dressed as the Cookie Monster has sent blackmails regarding the stolen cookie sculpture.
Q&A: The Hostess Auction — What to Expect
February 5, 2013 9:53 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsAs Hostess continues its bankruptcy auction process, the company has announced the lead bidders for many of its popular brands, including Wonder Bread and Twinkies. Food Manufacturing spoke with Professor Anthony Michael Sabino about the bankruptcy auction process and what it means for both buyers and sellers.
Portable Muffin and Batter Depositor
February 3, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsThe Portable Muffin and Batter Depositor features an operator interface for recipe access mounted in a stainless steel NEMA-4X enclosure.
Consumer Trends: Winter Fancy Food Show Favorites
January 31, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsThe top five food trends for 2013 have been picked by a panel of trendspotters at the 38th Winter Fancy Food Show. The show is the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages on the West Coast, with 80,000 products on display including cheeses, snacks, olive oils, vinegars, chocolate, and natural and organic products.
Flour Shortage Hurting Venezuelan Bakeries
January 31, 2013 9:45 am | by FABIOLA SANCHEZ,Associated Press | News | CommentsMarco Freitas, a manager of a Caracas bakery, is selling mainly cold cuts and dry pasta now that his bread shelves are nearly empty. Freitas said he hasn't been able to get enough flour lately. The shortage of imported wheat flour stems from problems including bottlenecks in seaports, a labor conflict at one processing company and a shortage of dollars allotted to importers by the government.
Investment Firms to Pay $410M for Twinkies
January 31, 2013 9:40 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsHostess said late Wednesday that it has selected a joint offer from two investment firms — C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management LLC — as the lead bid for its Twinkies and other snack cakes. Hostess, says the two are offering to pay $410 million for the snack-cake business and five bakeries.
Photo of the Day: Venezuelans Struggle with Flour Shortage
January 31, 2013 9:37 am | News | CommentsA bakery worker stand behind of a nearly empty display case in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. Venezuelans have been coping with sporadic shortages of foods ranging from cooking oil to sugar, and lately a dearth of flour is preventing some bakeries from making bread.
Hostess Set to Announce Bidder for Twinkies
January 30, 2013 9:25 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsHostess Brands is close to announcing that it has picked two investment firms — C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management — as the lead bidders for its Twinkies and other snack cakes, according to a source close to the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly on the talks.
Key Dates in the Sale of Hostess Brands
January 29, 2013 12:30 pm | News | CommentsHostess said Monday that it picked McKee Foods, the maker of Little Debbie cakes, as the lead bidder for its Drake's cakes. The fate of Twinkies and other Hostess snack cakes is still being negotiated. Here's a look at key dates in the sale of Hostess brands.
Thought of the Day: Little Debbie Meets Devil Dog
January 29, 2013 10:49 am | News | CommentsMcKee Foods, the maker of Little Debbie snacks, has agreed to pay $27.5 million for Hostess' Drake brand products, which include Devil Dogs, Yodels and other snack items, as part of a bankruptcy sale of Hostess' remaining assets. Mike Gloekler of McKee Foods says the company has no intent of changing or scrapping the Hostess products.
McKee Foods to Pay $27.5M for Drake’s Brand
January 29, 2013 9:29 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsHostess has picked the maker of Little Debbie as the lead bidder for its Drake's cakes. According to a filing in U.S. bankruptcy court, McKee Foods has offered $27.5 million in cash for the cake brands, which include Devil Dogs, Funny Bones and Yodels. The fate of Twinkies and other Hostess cakes are still being negotiated with other bidders.
McKee Foods Seeking Hostess Snack Brand
January 28, 2013 9:39 am | News | CommentsA published report says McKee Foods Corp. is offering to pay between $25 million to $30 million to acquire the Drake's brand from Hostess Brands Inc. The report late Friday in The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the two packaged food companies. McKee, based in Collegedale, Tenn., makes Little Debbie snack cakes.
Rising to the Gluten-Free Challenge
January 25, 2013 4:46 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | Blogs | CommentsAs gluten-free products become a necessity for a growing number of consumers being diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, food companies will need to develop more gluten-free options. While gluten-free manufacturing is no easy undertaking, it offers unique rewards for companies willing to accept the challenge.
Artist Has Sweet Obsession
January 22, 2013 9:33 am | by MARTIN GRIFFITH,Associated Press | News | CommentsLong before Hostess Brands' plan to shut down made Twinkies the rage, Nancy Peppin found something special about the cream-filled snack cakes. No, she doesn't have a sweet tooth for them. But she has featured Twinkies in hundreds of pieces of quirky, satirical artwork because of an obsession with what she calls the "ultimate American food icon."
Photo of the Day: Remembering Twinkies
January 22, 2013 9:27 am | News | CommentsThis undated image shows "Never Forget,'' one of the most recent of dozens of pieces of art Nancy Peppin has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to Andy Warhol.
