Part 3/5:
The Shift During World War II
Unfortunately, the success of the banana Twinkie was short-lived. During World War II, the importation of bananas to the United States came to a halt. Faced with the challenge of continuing production without their key ingredient, Continental Baking had to adapt quickly. It was during this time that the company made the decisive switch from banana filling to vanilla cream.
Despite the war concluding, the company did not return to its original banana recipe. They likely recognized that the vanilla version was a crowd-pleaser and served to keep the Twinkie brand afloat during challenging times.