The End Of Twinkies? Hostess Strike Sparks Fear, Recipe-Sharing Over Possible End Of Wonderbread, Ho Ho's And More

The strike on Nov. 9 caused Texas-based Hostess Brands Inc. to make a decision to cease production and operations of its famous snacks beginning on Tuesday. 

Twinkies, the company's most popular snack, have garnered a cult following ever since they appeared on shelves in 1930. The snack has even been immortalized by its mascot, Twinkie the Kid, as well as films like "Zombieland," where the character played by Woody Harrelson is on a quest for Twinkies amidst a zombie apocalypse.

Once news broke that Hostess is halting production, many took to Twitter to complain about the fear of the demise of their favorite snacks.

"I have to wonder why the govt cant bail out Hostess, but can Chrysler!!" wrote Facebook user Susan Farell.

Even Senator John McCain complained about the loss of Twinkies on Twitter.

"Twinkies maker Hostess closes - what will we do without deep fried Twinkies at the #Iowa State Fair?" he wrote.

"The Today Show" went as far as even posting a simple at-home recipe to make knock off Twinkies.

But fear not, Twinkies likely will be around, but scarce, according to New York Magazine's Grub Street. According to the blog, there is no need to hoard the snack since it most of Hostess' inventory will be sold in bulk to discount stores and chains in the near future.

"This probably isn't the last you'll see of Twinkies and Ding Dongs," the magazine said. "An iconic brand like Hostess doesn't stay off the market for long, and some new bidder — either a private equity firm or a rival confectioner — will likely step in and buy at least some of the intellectual property and copyrights, and begin making them again with different bakeries and a different (not necessarily American) workforce."

NY Mag said it is unclear how long the process of re-buying can take so it recommended stocking up "in case of a long hiatus."

Along with ending the production of Twinkies, which it on average makes 500,000 annually, the company said over 18,000 people in 33 bakeries and 570 bakery outlets around the nation will lose jobs.

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” Hostess CEO Gregory F. Rayburn told Bloomberg in a statement. “Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.”

The closure came after workers didn't report to work by 5 p.m. on Thursday amidst a nationwide strike by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union.