Latest news with #Twinkies
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular regional food brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Consumers face the risk of losing some of their favorite products whenever a food manufacturer files for bankruptcy. Commercial bakeries produce some of the most beloved products, and Hostess Brands is one of the most popular bakery brands, offering Wonder Bread, Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, and their fruit pies for decades. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Hostess broke a lot of hearts after it filed for bankruptcy in January 2012, shut down operations, and liquidated its products. Luckily for its fans, J.M. Smucker in September 2012 purchased the company for about $5.6 billion and restarted the business. Related: Another popular pizza dining chain files Chapter 11 bankruptcy Another food manufacturer, Hearthside Food Solutions, which made various snack and food products for distributors such as Mondelez Global, Kraft Heinz Foods, and Pepsico, on Nov. 22, 2024, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with a restructuring support agreement to hand 100% ownership of the company to its first-lien lenders. Hearthside, known as H-Food Holdings, restructured its debt, reorganized, and emerged from bankruptcy on March 31, 2025, as a new company, Maker's Pride LLC. Through the restructuring process, H-Food eliminated about $2 billion in funded debt. The company emerged with about $600 million in liquidity, including $200 million in new money through an equity rights offering and another $190 million of additional capital from a new asset-backed loan facility, according to a Maker's Pride statement at the time. "The swift completion of our financial restructuring process marks a pivotal moment for our company and is a testament to the dedication of our valued team members and committed support of our customers and financial partners," Darlene Nicosia, chief executive officer of Maker's Pride, said in a statement. The Downers Grove, Ill., company manufactures and produces convenience foods, including baked, refrigerated, and frozen foods, sweet and salty snacks, and nutrition bars, as a full-service provider of food packaging services for many of the world's premier brands through a network of 27 facilities and is the largest private bakery in the industry. And now, another popular commercial bakery has declared bankruptcy, as the parent company of Phoenix-based artisan bakery Noble Bread has filed a Chapter 11 petition to reorganize its business. The bakery and restaurant owner's parent Noble Goodness LLC and three affiliates filed their Subchapter V petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona on May 29, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities. Related: Major logistics and trucking company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy The debtor did not indicate a reason for filing for bankruptcy in its petition. Nobel Bread operates a bakery facility that produces 30 different types of bread, as well as a modern wood-fired deli restaurant, Noble Eats, located in the Biltmore District in Phoenix. More bankruptcy: Iconic auto repair chain franchise files Chapter 11 bankruptcyPopular beer brand closes down and files Chapter 7 bankruptcyPopular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The bakery says that it uses old-world techniques, "only using organic GMO-free flours, water, sea salt, and organic levain starter, which is a culture of wild yeasts used slowly to leaven the bread," according to Noble Bread's website. The company claims that it takes 36 hours to make one loaf of bread. "Utilizing whole grains, and ancient grains makes the bread far more complex and biologically active than just plain white bread," Noble Breads said on its website. The artisan bakery's products are available at Noble Eats, 11 AJ's Fine Foods gourmet markets throughout Arizona, and at a dozen farmers' markets throughout the Grand Canyon State. Related: Another major internet company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Beloved snack cake maker closing factory
Everyone knows JM Smucker, aka Smuckers, for its jelly and peanut butter spreads, but over the years, the company has also become a leader in the snack aisle. The Ohio-based food giant has added a lineup of household brands to its shelves, including Milk-Bone (for pets), Folgers coffee, Jif peanut butter, and most recently, Hostess snack cakes. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter You know, the same Twinkies, HoHos, and Ding Dongs that filled generations of lunchboxes and satisfied late-night cravings? In 2023, Smucker gobbled up Hostess Brands in a $5.6 billion deal, betting big on the appeal of sweet snacks, despite the growing popularity of healthier and less sugary foods in the U.S. But even amid that big investment, the company has been working to consolidate operations, and that means making some difficult choices. Smucker announced it will close its Hostess snack cake plant in Indianapolis in 2026, ending almost 70 years of operations there. The plant has produced the most popular Hostess treats for decades. Smucker did not explain why it selected the Indianapolis site for closure, but it's an older facility that may require significant investment to update. "This decision continues the ongoing work to ensure our manufacturing network is optimized to mitigate costs and reduce complexity in support of the execution of our Sweet Baked Snacks strategy, which is focused on stabilizing the Hostess business and positioning it for long-term growth," said Senior Vice President Judd Freitag in a statement. Related: Beloved Mexican restaurant closing iconic location after 63 years Smucker did not disclose how many employees will be affected by the closure, but around 260 people work in the Indianapolis location. The company says it plans to shift production to other facilities in its network and will sell the Indianapolis facility by the end of calendar year 2026. There is a broader trend in the food and beverage industry of identifying ways to trim costs. Inflation is squeezing consumer budgets, and they are cutting back on discretionary spending, which includes everything from travel and restaurant meals to non-staple groceries like sweet snacks. Some companies are choosing to close existing locations instead of retrofitting them. So far this year, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands, Post Holdings, and Brown-Forman have all announced plant closures or restructurings. In each case, the companies cited rising costs, the need for operational simplicity, and a shift toward long-term sustainability. Labor costs, ingredient price volatility, and shifting consumer habits are also contributing to the closure trend. More Food: Applebee's brings back all-you-can-eat deal to take down Chili'sPopular Mexican chain reveals surprising growth plansStarbucks CEO shares plan for a whole new menu Shoppers are more frequently visiting discount retailers and buying more private-label brands such as those from Costco and Trader Joe's. These habits pressure large food manufacturers to rethink how they produce, ship, and market their products. Smucker is committed to stabilizing and growing its snacks business, and the Indianapolis closure may be one way to simplify logistics so the brand can remain profitable, even as consumer spending tightens. Related: Nutella adds a new flavor few saw coming The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
East side Indy Hostess plant will close by early 2026, J.M. Smucker says
J.M. Smucker has announced plans to shutter the longstanding Hostess plant on the east side of Indianapolis by early 2026, a move that is expected to put hundreds of local workers out of a job. J.M. Smucker, the parent company of Hostess based in Orville, Ohio, said in a May 27 press release it aims to consolidate operations and sell the Indianapolis facility at the corner of 30th Street and Shadeland Avenue Roughly 260 people work at the Indianapolis Hostess plant, according to a facility map on the Smucker website. Since 1957, workers at the east side plant have baked beloved products, beginning with Wonder Bread and later expanding to other Hostess baked goods, like the iconic Twinkies cakes and Donettes mini donuts. The plant changed hands in the 1990s and briefly closed in 2012 due to Hostess declaring bankruptcy before reopening a year later. Hostess Brands, along with the Indianapolis facility, was acquired by the J.M. Smucker Company in 2023. In a statement, J.M. Smucker executives said the closure is part of the company's "Sweet Baked Snacks" strategy, which is focused on growing the Hostess brand and increasing the company's position in the sweet baked goods category at the grocery store. "This decision continues the ongoing work to ensure our manufacturing network is optimized to mitigate costs and reduce complexity in support of the execution of our Sweet Baked Snacks strategy, which is focused on stabilizing the Hostess business and positioning it for long-term growth," said Judd Freitag, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Pet and Sweet Baked Snacks. "Any decision that impacts our employees is only made after careful consideration. We appreciate the contributions of our Indianapolis employees, and we will support them through this transition." Indianapolis manufacturing: Roche will put $550 million facility for glucose monitors in Indianapolis, adding 650 jobs The company also makes Hostess products at two plants in Kansas and one site in Georgia. J.M. Smucker will release more information on how it will close and sell the Indianapolis plant on its June 10 earnings call.
26-05-2025
- Politics
Gaza content creators post videos from food kitchens amid risk of famine in Gaza
After more than two months without aid entering Gaza, raising the risk of famine for millions of people, some aid trucks have begun entering the territory in the past few days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced some aid would resume entering the Gaza Strip Sunday, May 18. The Israeli government is working with the U.S. to set up aid distribution points. However, the plan faces criticism from established aid organizations. The Israeli-American system for distributing aid in Gaza is set to begin on Monday, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Some local content creators in Gaza, who gained a following with their food and recipe videos, continued posting from food kitchens amid the shortage of aid -- a way to keep hope alive and find joy as war rages on, they say. "For me, this is passion, to cook delicious things in these difficult times, and I really started feeling like a useful person in this crisis and war," Hamada Sho told ABC News. Sho is a popular content creator on social media who makes videos from Gaza, cooking and serving food to his community in Khan Yunis. He began working with social media before the war, previously working in marketing and development with restaurants in Gaza. After deciding to help people during the ongoing war by cooking, he started to post videos showing his cooking process in March 2024, sharing them on social media for people beyond Gaza to see what life there is like. One of the videos before the blockade, posted online in February, shows Sho making a dessert with fresh fruit and cream over a base of Twinkies and then delivering the treats to children gathered on the beach as he is greeted with loud cheers. After Israel implemented a total aid blockade on Gaza on March 2, ingredients entering Gaza also halted. Because of the lack of supplies entering the Strip, the supplies that are inside have skyrocketed in price. "Now I can't cook larger quantities. I can barely purchase some from the market with these unbelievable prices." Sho said. "Whether it was rice, beans or anything, the most important thing is that people have at least one meal a day." The Israeli government has said the aid blockade was meant to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. There are still 58 hostages held captive by Hamas, 20 of whom are presumed to be alive. The war has taken a large toll on Palestinians, with over 53,000 killed in Gaza since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The blockade, which began on March 2, started a day after a temporary six-week ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended on March 1. Israeli forces resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18. Sho works with local organizations, like Watermelon Relief, a grass-roots initiative in Gaza providing aid to displaced families, to get raw materials, which he uses to cook and provide food to refugee camps and communities in need of food, generally cooking from community kitchens. Ahmed El-Madhoun, a coordinator for Watermelon Relief, explained that the raw food used in many of the videos posted by Sho was sourced from humanitarian aid entering the strip and traders located in Gaza. "After Ramadan, things got worse. The border closed tighter, and food became harder and harder to find. Basic things like flour, cooking oil and even clean water," El-Madhoun said. Watermelon Relief had to close its kitchen due to the lack of cooking material, he added. "No vegetables, no meat, nothing in the market. And if it's available, it's very expensive," El-Madhoun told ABC News. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a system used around the world to track food insecurity and malnutrition, released an updated report on May 12, classifying the entire Gaza Strip as Phase 4, indicating that "the entire population is expected to face crisis or worse acute food insecurity." Twenty-two percent of Gaza will likely experience a food "catastrophe" according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. "Our team members inside Gaza are surviving on the cheapest staples they can find—lentils, fava beans, dry chickpeas—if anything is available at all. A single sack of flour, once a basic item, now sells for up to 1,700 shekels, or nearly $480. These last supplies will not last much longer," Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid organization, wrote in a statement regarding the IPC report. "The people of Gaza are enduring one of the most harrowing humanitarian crises in recent history." As food continues to be hard to access for many in Gaza, people have begun to rely on kitchens started by organizations that can make large quantities of food and serve it to the community. "Everyone relies on community kitchens for their food now," said Mohammed Abu Rijela, another content creator posting videos of cooking food in Gaza. He was a content creator before the war. After being displaced at the beginning of the war, he decided to help his community by starting community kitchens in Gaza, producing over 10,000 meals a day. Since the blockade, the number of meals Abu Rijela was able to produce has decreased significantly. "Instead of making 10,000 meals a day, now I make 3,000. At the same time, people's demand increased greatly in the kitchen," he added. Sho's and Abu Rijela's viral food videos were met with backlash on social media, with commenters denying the reality of the food crisis, citing the large amounts of food in the videos as evidence of the contrary. A post Sho made in March 2025, showing him cooking a chicken shawarma, became a focus of the online backlash. El-Madhoun, with Watermelon Relief, told ABC News that most of the videos featuring meat were likely filmed months ago. "We have not been able to find any meat for two months," El-Madhoun said. Some traders were able to keep some meat in their warehouses, but due to the lack of electricity, storing the meat was not possible, he added. Sho said many of the kitchens have shut down due to the lack of food, adding he has been cooking mostly legumes, peas, beans and rice during this time of low availability. Even these ingredients are sometimes unavailable, he said. "The prices of very basic goods are skyrocketing. And the children, 1.1 million children, are suffering from that. They don't have enough food," a UNICEF spokesperson in Gaza told ABC News. A UNRWA senior communications officer and spokesperson, speaking in Geneva on May 20, described the slow arrival of aid as: "Not enough. Five trucks, nowhere near. Not enough." The comment came as humanitarian agencies have received permission from Israel for "around 100" more aid trucks to enter the Strip, five of which were let in on Monday. In a press release on May 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) called the situation in Gaza "one of the world's worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time." "We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick, and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Universe May End Sooner Than Scientists Thought
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Despite its spectacular birth, the universe will mostly likely eventually fade into nothingness with very little drama. Black holes, as far as we know, will evaporate through Hawking radiation, with one of two identical, quantum-entangled particles floating into space and the other staying behind. Other objects will evaporate in a process similar to Hawking radiation, with the densest disappearing the fastest. While the universe might have started with a bang, it probably won't go out with one. But however it comes about, that end might be much sooner than we thought. If you ask astrophysicist Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak, and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom, they'll tell you that those last days will not erupt into a cataclysmic explosion worthy of sci-fi special effects. Instead, the last remaining vestiges of all matter will just evaporate into particles floating in the void. In 2023, the trio theorized that it was possible for other objects besides black holes to slowly evaporate away via Hawking radiation, which aroused curiosity as to how soon it could possibly happen. Now, there is a hypothetical answer. But don't start doomsday prepping yet—Earth still has about 5 billion years left until it gets devoured by the Sun. So, according to the team, if our species manages to propagate beyond the Solar System and colonize some distant moon or planet, there are still another ~1078 years left for the universe. That's 1 with 78 zeroes after it. Even Twinkies won't last that long. It might seem unfathomable, but that mind-boggling max age for the universe is far lower than the previously predicted 101100 years (which is 1 with 1100 zeroes). While this prior hypothesis did include the time it would take for black holes to evaporate, it did not factor in the evaporation of other objects. 'Using gravitational curvature radiation, we find that also neutron stars and white dwarfs decay in a finite time in the presence of gravitational pair production,' the researchers said in a study recently published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. When a pair of particles forms right on the lip of a black hole's gaping maw, one can be pulled in past the inescapable event horizon, while the other escapes into nearby space. Because those particles are supposedly quantum-entangled, that rogue particle could be carrying information about the insides of a black hole (until the Hawking Information Paradox kicks in, of course). This called Hawking radiation. It has long been thought that only black holes emitted Hawking radiation, but in their new study, these researchers posit that a similar phenomenon could affect other ultradense objects without event horizons, such as white dwarf stars (star corpses left when the gases of a red giant dissipate) and neutron stars. Everything with mass has gravity that warps spacetime. The more dense an object, the greater the warp, but less massive objects still have some effect on the space-time continuum. Objects with strong gravitational fields evaporate faster—white dwarves, supermassive black holes, and dark matter supercluster haloes are expected to hold out for 1078 years, while neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes should hang around for about 1067 years. Anything with a gravitational field is prone to evaporating. (This includes humans, and could put a glitch in our quest for immortality. It should take 1090 years for our bodies to vanish.) Even though the intense gravitational fields of black holes should cause them to evaporate faster, they put off total annihilation as long as possible because, unlike white dwarves or neutron stars, they have no surface and tend to reabsorb some escaped particles. 'In the absence of an event horizon, there is pair production outside the object which leads to particles hitting the surface and also pair production inside the object,' the researchers said. 'We assume those particles to be absorbed by the object and to increase and redistribute internal energy. Both components will lead to a surface emission, which is absent in black holes.' So, in enough years to cover 78 zeroes, all that will be left of black holes—and everything else in the universe—are particles and radiation. You (assuming immortality) and whatever you bought in bulk for doomsday will also evaporate. no matter when it comes, there really is no escape from the end. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
