It may well be that in some jurisdictions a price per pound is required. So Hostess, etc. put on the MSRP then figure backwards to what the price per pound is.
I think this must be it, because I see a lot of supermarkets have price labels on the shelf that show price per pound in addition to price per unit. Not just meats and vegetables, but packaged foods as well.
Toilet paper is a fun one. You’ll have three brands side by side, each with different sticker prices. And then each has a comparison part of the price…but one lists cost per square, one cost per square feet of paper, and one cost per roll.
Good luck on figuring which is the best value, eh?
In NY, unit pricing is required, and the unit price is always to the left of the price tag, with the retail price on the right. This sounds exactly like what you’re describing. So it makes sense for Little Debbie use one system nationally instead of using different ones for different states.