Which Has More Sugar, Zebra Cakes or Twinkies? 34 g vs 31 g

Per 2 cakes, the two labels list nearly the same sugar: Zebra Cakes show 34 g total sugars and 33 g added sugars, while Twinkies show 31 g of each. Twinkies list more sodium (360 mg versus 150 mg), and Zebra Cakes list more saturated fat (8 g versus 3.5 g). The color declarations also differ, because the Twinkies label names Red 40 and Yellow 5 while the Zebra Cake records name titanium dioxide, turmeric, and annatto extract. The servings are not the same weight: 2 Zebra Cakes are 74 g and 2 Twinkies are 77 g.

Key takeaways

• Sugar alone does not separate these products: 34 g total and 33 g added for Zebra Cakes, 31 g total and 31 g added for Twinkies, per 2 cakes.
• Twinkies list 360 mg sodium per 2 cakes, compared with 150 mg for Zebra Cakes.
• Zebra Cakes list 8 g saturated fat per 2 cakes, compared with 3.5 g for Twinkies.
• The color lists differ, and the Zebra Cake records should be checked against the current package.
• The FDA permits titanium dioxide as a food color under 21 CFR 73.575, and Red 40 and Yellow 5 are certified color additives that the FDA approves for food.

At a glance (2 cakes each)

Label item	Little Debbie Zebra Cakes	Hostess Twinkies
Serving size	2 cakes (74 g)	2 cakes (77 g)
Calories	320	280
Total fat	14 g	9 g (11% DV)
Saturated fat	8 g	3.5 g (18% DV)
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Sodium	150 mg	360 mg (16% DV)
Total sugars	34 g	31 g
Added sugars	33 g	31 g (61% DV)
Dietary fiber	0 g	0 g
Protein	2 g	2 g
Colors named in ingredients	Titanium dioxide, turmeric, annatto extract (Open Food Facts records)	Yellow 5, Red 40 (brand ingredient list)

How much sugar is in 2 Zebra Cakes vs 2 Twinkies, and how much of it is added?

Two Zebra Cakes list 34 g total sugars and 33 g added sugars in their Open Food Facts record, while two Twinkies list 31 g total sugars and 31 g added sugars on the Hostess Twinkies page. Both figures are per 2-cake serving, so the labels are close on sugar.

The FDA states that the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. The Twinkies label shows its added sugars as 61% of that Daily Value. The Zebra Cake record used here lists added sugars in grams only, so no percentage is given for it.

The ingredient lists explain part of the picture. Zebra Cakes begin with sugar and corn syrup, followed by enriched bleached flour and water. Twinkies begin with sugar, enriched flour, water, and high fructose corn syrup. Readers comparing other snacks can use the same per-serving method, such as in Pop-Tarts vs Toaster Strudel: 30 g vs 18 g Added Sugar?.

How much sodium is in 2 Zebra Cakes vs 2 Twinkies?

Two Twinkies list 360 mg of sodium (16% DV), and two Zebra Cakes list 150 mg. The Twinkies figure is more than twice the Zebra Cake figure on a per-serving basis.

Sodium appears in both ingredient lists in several forms. The Twinkies list includes salt, baking soda, and sodium acid pyrophosphate among its ingredients. The Zebra Cake records list salt, baking soda, and sodium aluminum phosphate in the leavening group. A single serving is the unit both labels use, so the comparison holds only for 2 cakes.

Readers who track sodium may find the percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts panel useful. The Zebra Cake record used here does not include a percent Daily Value for sodium, so the gram or milligram figure is the only number available for that product.

How much saturated fat is in 2 Zebra Cakes vs 2 Twinkies?

Two Zebra Cakes list 8 g saturated fat, and two Twinkies list 3.5 g (18% DV). Zebra Cakes also list 14 g total fat per serving, compared with 9 g for Twinkies, and both list 0 g trans fat.

The fat sources named in each list differ. Twinkies list tallow and hydrogenated tallow, along with soybean and cottonseed oil. Zebra Cakes list palm and palm kernel oil, along with palm and soybean oils that carry TBHQ and citric acid, which the label says are included to protect flavor. The Twinkies label names tallow but does not disclose the animal source beyond that word.

The saturated fat figures come from labels for one package size, so they describe 2 cakes and not an average cake. They cannot show how any individual body responds to saturated fat.

Do Zebra Cakes or Twinkies contain Red 40 and Yellow 5, or titanium dioxide?

Twinkies name Red 40 and Yellow 5 in their ingredient list, while the Zebra Cake records name titanium dioxide, turmeric, and annatto extract as colors. The Twinkies list places both dyes at the end of the 2% or less group.

The two Zebra Cake records do not match word for word. One record transcribes the colors as "titanium dioxide, turmeric annatto extract" with no comma between the last two, and another prints them as "titanium dioxide, turmeric, annatto extract". Neither record (one, two) names Red 40 or Yellow 5. Because the Zebra Cake ingredient list is a transcription, the current package should be checked before relying on it. For a Red 40 comparison in another snack, see Do Takis Have Red 40? Takis vs Doritos Ingredients and Sodium.

The amount of each color in milligrams was not disclosed for either product, so this page cannot compare dose.

Is titanium dioxide safe in food, and what is its US and EU regulatory status?

Titanium dioxide is a synthetically produced white pigment made from naturally occurring ores, and the FDA allows it in food as a color additive. The FDA permits its use under 21 CFR 73.575, with the quantity of titanium not to exceed 1% by weight of the food.

The FDA is currently reviewing a Color Additive Petition filed on April 14, 2023. The FDA page does not report a decision on that petition.

The same FDA titanium dioxide page notes that the European Food Safety Authority's 2021 opinion could not rule out genotoxicity based on tests on TiO2 nanomaterials, and that the UK Food Standards Agency, Health Canada and Food Standards Australia New Zealand have not agreed with that assessment.

Are Red 40 and Yellow 5 safe in food, and what do FDA rules require for them?

Red 40 and Yellow 5 are certified color additives, and there is no federal ban on either one. The FDA's color additive Q&A states there are nine certified color additives approved for use in food, and synthetic certified colors must undergo batch certification.

The FDA also describes exempt colors, which include pigments from natural sources such as vegetables, minerals, or animals. The agency states that exempt colors are still color additives and must be approved before use in foods. Turmeric and annatto fall into the natural-source category the FDA describes, so both still require FDA approval. Whether either dye has any effect on a given person is a question this page cannot settle.

What do the full ingredient lists of Zebra Cakes and Twinkies show side by side?

The two lists share several ingredients, including sugar, enriched flour, water, dextrose, soybean oil, soy lecithin, corn starch, salt, and mono and diglycerides. They also share sorbic acid, polysorbate 60, whey, and natural and artificial flavors.

The lists differ in several ways:

• Named only in the Twinkies list: tallow, hydrogenated tallow, high fructose corn syrup, egg in the main list, cottonseed oil, glycerine, xanthan gum, enzymes, sodium stearoyl lactylate, Red 40, and Yellow 5.
• Named only in the Zebra Cake records: palm and palm kernel oil, TBHQ, citric acid, soy flour, egg whites, cocoa, potato starch, sorbitan monostearate, polysorbate 80, titanium dioxide, turmeric, and annatto extract.

Neither label discloses the specific compounds behind 'natural and artificial flavors,' so the flavor composition of either product was not disclosed.

How do the allergen statements of Zebra Cakes and Twinkies compare?

The Twinkies allergen statement reads 'Contains Egg, Milk, Soybean and Wheat Ingredients.' The Zebra Cake Open Food Facts record lists eggs, gluten, milk, and soybeans as allergens.

The wording differs, but both products list egg, milk, and soy. The Zebra Cake record uses gluten where the Twinkies statement uses wheat. People managing allergies or celiac disease should read the allergen statement on the package they are holding, since third-party records can lag behind a package change.

Which Zebra Cake and Twinkie label details should you check before buying?

Check the serving size first, because both labels use 2 cakes and the grams differ (74 g for Zebra Cakes, 77 g for Twinkies). Then compare the same lines on the Nutrition Facts panel:

• Total sugars and added sugars, in grams and as a percent of Daily Value if shown
• Sodium in milligrams
• Saturated fat in grams and percent Daily Value
• The color names in the ingredient list, since Zebra Cake records vary in wording
• The allergen statement, which may differ by package or production run

Little Debbie's own product pages did not display an ingredient or nutrition panel, so the Zebra Cake figures in this article come from Open Food Facts transcriptions of the package. The evidence here also cannot show how individual people respond to sugar, sodium, saturated fat, or colors.

What other snack comparisons can help you read labels?

Other label comparisons use the same method of comparing per-serving numbers and ingredient names side by side. Nutri-Grain vs Nature's Bakery: Both 14 g Added Sugar applies the added sugar line to two breakfast-style products.

Related reading: For two tubs of store-bought frosting compared on their labels, see Pillsbury vs Betty Crocker Frosting: Colors and Sugar, which sets the colorings, sweeteners and added sugar of the two vanilla frostings side by side.