It's been a year since Hostess launched "the sweetest comeback in the history of ever," but strange odors have some consumers questioning that.
"I wouldn't eat these," said Johanna Jamison after smelling the white powdered Donettes.
The Hostess Facebook page is filled with posts from consumers who said when they opened the white powdered Donettes they were moldy and smelled like chemicals.
"To anyone who has bought and eaten the white powdered donettes that have the chemical odor and taste, I urge you to report it to the FDA. Hostess is doing nothing about this problem and continues to keep this product on the shelf," posted one woman from Utah.
"I also bought a pack of the tainted, chemical smelling white powder donuts!!! I only took half a bite but it was so horrible!!! I've never tasted anything like that and then the mold!!! wtf why are these not being recalled??!!" posted a woman out of California.
7NEWS, our Scripps station in Denver, put the treats to the test after a viewer made a similar complaint. We asked four people to open new packages of the Hostess mini white powdered Donettes and tell us how they smelled.
"Oh my God, it doesn't smell like donuts," said Johanna Jamison.
"At first it kind of smelled like nail polish remover, kind of like when you go to the nail salon or something," said Nicole Woodruff.
One man said he could only smell the powdered sugar, but when given a different batch he said it also smelled weird.
"That's like starkly different. That definitely smells different than this one," said Zac Wright.
Hostess spokesperson Hannah Arnold acknowledged they've received complaints of the smell and taste but denied it was harmful.
Statement from Hostess Brands:
"The quality of our products is of critical importance to Hostess and we take any questions or concerns from consumers very seriously. We have been made aware of some instances of mold or an off smell in packages of Donettes. We have determined the issue was likely caused by high moisture levels and excessive summer heat and humidity and do not believe there are any health concerns. We have responded directly to consumers who have experienced an issue, are working with our retail partners that may have received product and have reviewed our entire supply chain to ensure that our products consistently meet our high quality standards. Any consumers with questions should contact Hostess consumer affairs at 1-800-777-8067, extension 4756, and the company will address their issues immediately."
