”If it tastes good, it`s probably bad for you,” read the large letters on the press release from Continental Baking Co., a Chicago-born corporation that brings you Wonder bread and Hostess Twinkies. The products that accompanied the release-97% Fat-Free Hostess blueberry muffins and 97% Fat-Free cinnamon crumb coffee cakes-are exceptions, it said.
Sure, we thought, as we put out the cellophane-wrapped cupcakes for associates to sample. Unlike other low-calorie pastries we`ve tried to fob off on Tribune staff members, these disappeared in fewer than five minutes.
”These are great,” said Larry, who doesn`t hand out praise lightly, as he wolfed down a blueberry muffin. ”I`d buy them. That they`re fat-free makes it better.”
Actually, they are NOT fat-free, despite rather misleading labeling. They are 97 percent fat-free, which makes fat content about 10 percent of calories for both the crumb cakes and the muffins. The package uses large letters for the words ”Fat-Free” and numerals half the size for the ”97%.”
The muffins are sold two to a package for 79 cents; the crumb cakes are three in a package for the same price.
