HANOVER, Pa. (AP) -- The deal is off for a central Pennsylvania snack food company's plan to buy its nearby competitor.

Utz Quality Foods and Snyder's of Hanover said they have halted their merger efforts.

Both companies said in a joint statement Wednesday that the deal was nixed after they didn't get approval from federal regulators.

Snyder's had announced on Oct. 21 that it planned to acquire Utz. Company officials hoped the deal would be done by the end of the year.

Both companies are privately held. They are located in Hanover, York County, and make pretzels, potato chips and other salty snacks.