Canada May Have Just Lost Little Debbie Snacks Forever
Cosmic Brownies, Nutty Buddy Bars, and Zebra Cakes are just a few of the sweet treats under the Little Debbie line. These individually packaged products are often found on convenience store shelves, in boxes at the grocery store, or in the lunchboxes of elementary school-aged students. The Oatmeal Creme Pie was the original product sold by the brand, but the company has expanded over the years.
According to the Little Debbie website, the brand now offers 75 varieties of snacks, and it sells more than 200 million cartons of Oatmeal Creme Pies, Swiss Cake Rolls, and Nutty Buddy wafer bars each year. The company is based in the United States, but it has distributed its products for sale in Mexico, too. And until recently, the brand was also sold in Canada — but the end of a business deal means Canadians may no longer see Little Debbie snacks on store shelves.
There are no more Canadian distributors
Canada's only distributor of Little Debbie products has cut ties with McKee Foods, reports Food Business News. McKee Foods has held ownership of the Little Debbie line since 1934, when O.D. and Ruth McKee purchased a small bakery. The sweet snacks, which are manufactured in the United States, are distributed to wholesalers that resell the products to grocery and convenience stores.
In Canada, Little Debbie snacks were only distributed by one wholesaler, explains Food Business News. That wholesaler ended the partnership, and McKee Foods stated that it's not seeking to enter a new agreement with a new distributer. Unfortunately for Canadian fans of the popular snack foods, that means consumers will need to seek out alternatives to Nutty Buddy Bars, Cosmic Brownies, and Oatmeal Creme Pies. While the snacks may still be on store shelves for now, when they're gone, they'll be gone indefinitely.