Twinkies maker Hostess ready for its big bake sale

Last week, Scherer had noted that it was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for buyers to snap up such well-known products without the debt and labor contracts that would come with the purchasing the entire company. Although Hostess sales have been declining over the years, they still clock in at between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion a year.

Scherer also said a surprising number of potential buyers have expressed interest in most of its three dozen factories.

The company's demise came after years of management turmoil and turnover, with workers saying the company failed to invest in updating its products. In January, Hostess filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a decade, citing steep costs associated with its unionized workforce.

Although Hostess was able to reach a new contract agreement with its largest union, the Teamsters, the bakers union rejected the terms and went on strike Nov. 9. Hostess announced its plans to liquidate a week later, saying the strike crippled its ability to maintain normal production.

In court Thursday, an attorney for Hostess noted that the company is no longer able to pay retiree benefits, which come to about $1.1 million a month. Hostess stopped contributing to its union pension plans more than a year ago.

Toward the end of the hearing, a man who said he'd worked for Hostess for 34 years stood to give his objections to the wind-down plan, saying creditors shouldn't be paid when the company hasn't been making its contributions to workers' pension funds.

"I have traveled pretty far to get here," he said, noting that many of his co-workers didn't know how to get to the hearing and speak for themselves. "I just wanted to be heard."

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