Little Debbie Snacks Are No Longer Available In Canada. Is Little Debbie Going Out Of Business?

Little Debbie Snacks Are No Longer Available In Canada

McKee Foods Corp., the maker of Little Debbie products, confirmed to CTV News that its corner store staples, such as Swiss Rolls and Honey Buns, will no longer be distributed in Canada.

"This was not our decision," a McKee Foods spokesperson said in an email Wednesday. "The sole distributor in Canada chose to terminate their business relationship with our brands for reasons that are entirely their own."

If you want to get your hands on Cosmic Brownies or Oatmeal Creme Pies, you'll have to cross the border or shop online. The disappearance of Little Debbie comes just days after General Mills confirmed that Bugles would be discontinued in Canada.

"Unfortunately, Bugles in Canada have been discontinued for several months," the company said on social media. "We're always listening to fans so maybe it will come back in the future. Until then we're hoping you can find a tasty substitute elsewhere in the General Mills family."

The cone-shaped corn snack was a Christmastime staple for those who enjoy making things like "Nuts and Bolts" and "Elf Shoes."

Is Little Debbie Going Out Of Business?

Little Debbie Snack Cakes are no longer sold to US military bases, and distribution in Canada has been halted; however, the product is still very widely available in the United States. Since the 1960s, Little Debbie Snacks, such as the best-selling oatmeal cakes, Swiss cake rolls, and nutty Buddy wafer bars, have been very popular grocery store items. No, Little Debbie is not closing her doors. Little Debbie's products, however, are no longer available in US Navy department stores or retail outlets. Little Debbie is also not currently available in Canada.

Why is Little Debbie No Longer In Canada?

Instead, McKee Foods Corporation, the family-run bakery that produces Little Debbie-brand snack cakes, has announced that the product will no longer be sold in commissaries on US military bases and in US Navy retail stores nationwide and internationally. 

In September, Mike Gloekler, corporate communications and public relations manager at McKee Foods, banned to reporters stars and stripesa a daily American military newspaper, that "the regulatory standards required by McKee Foods are too costly to continue supplying the Defense Commissary Agency and the Navy Exchange Service."

"As supporters of the men and women who serve in the US military, this has been a very difficult decision for us," Gloekler said. "We believe in the mission of forward-deployed troops, and we understand the impact that home comforts have on morale. Perhaps some see an opportunity to improve compliance by federal contractors."