Wonder Bread to cease production in Southern California

Wonder Bread to cease production in Southern California Wonder Bread, a lunchbox staple with Southern California kids for nearly 70 years, will vanish from area grocery store shelves when producer Interstate Bakeries Corp. shutters regional bread operations at the end of October.
   Kansas City, Mo.-based Interstate plans to close all four of its Southern California bakeries, 17 distribution centers and 16 outlet stores, eliminating 1,300 jobs.
   Interstate, heading toward a third year in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said the Southern California bread making operations are unprofitable due to high labor costs. The closing will cost the company about $29 million and the last bread deliveries will be on Oct. 20.
   The firm will continue to operate two area bakeries producing the Hostess and Dolly Madison lines of snack cakes and doughnuts, which include Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Snowballs. Those plants employ around 840 workers.
   The airy and sweet Wonder bread, first produced more than 80 years ago, has been sold in Southern California since at least the 1940s. Interstate purchased the brand when it acquired Continental Baking Co. from Ralston Purina Co. in 1995 for $461 million.