January 27, 1998

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Interstate Brands Corp. today announced a voluntary recall of 14 food products in response to an investigation of asbestos contamination at its Schiller Park plant by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan.

Consumers in 21 states, including Illinois, are being warned not to eat Hostess Twinkies, Hostess Light Twinkies, Hostess HoHos, Hostess Cupcakes, Hostess Light Cup, Hostess Light Brownies, Hostess Chocolicious, Hostess Muffin - Oat Bran, Hostess Valentine, Hostess Hoppers, Hostess Dessert Cup, Hostess Fruit Pies, Hostess Honey Buns and Dolly Madison Cupcakes manufactured by Interstate Brands Corp., 9555 W. Soreng, and are to return the food, unopened, to the place of purchase for a refund.

Each product has a sell-by date of 2/6/98, except for the Hostess HoHos, which have a sell-by date of 2/13/98. Products manufactured at the Schiller Park plant have a "57" code as part of the product expiration date.

All food manufactured at the plant between Jan. 11 and Jan. 26 may have been contaminated by the illegal removal of asbestos from the plant's boiler room over the weekend of Jan. 11 and 12 by Interstate Brands employees. The employees were not properly licensed or accredited and did not follow prescribed emission control or disposal procedures to prevent the spread of asbestos fibers. Once removed, the asbestos was carted through the production facility and discarded in an outside dumpster.

Since the entire production facility is considered contaminated, the voluntary recall includes all products made at the plant since the asbestos was removed. Company officials have estimated that more than 1 million individual snack items were made at the facility during the dates in question.

Although the extent of the contamination is not yet known, asbestos fibers could have been mixed into the product or contaminated packaging.

Not much is known about the health risk of ingesting food contaminated with asbestos, but some studies have linked repeated consumption to cancer of the esophagus and of the gastrointestinal tract. Inhaling asbestos fibers, which could occur when the packaging is disturbed during opening, causes asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; or cancer of the lung, the lining of the abdominal cavity or the digestive system.

Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said the health risk of consuming or inhaling a small amount of asbestos fibers is considered minimal. However, the risk increases with exposure, so the product is being withdrawn from the market to assure that the risk of exposure is removed.

IDPH embargoed all food products in the Schiller Park plant Monday and, at the insistence of IEPA, the plant was closed and secured at midnight Monday. The voluntary recall was announced by the company Tuesday.

Both IDPH and IEPA are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the asbestos removal and are discussing possible legal actions against Interstate Brands with Attorney General Jim Ryan. Under legislation drafted by Ryan and signed last summer by Gov. Jim Edgar, it is a felony to improperly remove asbestos.

Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials were at the plant on Friday and again on Tuesday to address possible health risks to the employees.

State officials first became involved on Friday when a complaint was received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about improper asbestos removal from the plant. After environmental samples were found to contain asbestos, IDPH and IEPA began working with company officials regarding discontinuing production, a product recall and a cleanup of the plant.

The voluntary recall agreement reached with Illinois officials includes products to be recalled in Illinois and 20 other states. Those states, according to Interstate Brands, are Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments