Well Actually, Twinkies Don't Last Forever

Since their introduction in 1930, Twinkies have become a beloved dessert and have had many pop-culture appearances, such as in the film "Ghostbusters." It hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, though. The snack has survived the Great Depression, a change in ownership, and health concerns that led to fewer sales and multiple Chapter 11 filings, not to mention a short hiatus in 2012–13. However, the belief that Twinkies never go bad doesn't pertain to how these treats have remained available through tough times. Instead, this myth has more to do with the cakes lasting longer than most other packaged baked goods.

The myth regarding how long Twinkies last has become so extreme that many people say (possibly jokingly) the snacks would be the only food left during an apocalypse. Where it originated is unclear, however, it might have emerged in the 1990s after comedian Jay Leno joked that Twinkies could survive nuclear war. According to the Associated Press, though, the cakes are currently good for 45 days (Twinkies have nothing on the tardigrade). That's 19 days longer than the original recipe, which was adjusted in 2012 to extend the shelf life just before the brand was sold to Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. in 2013. The brand also started freezing some of its products so that they would last longer after being delivered to retailers.

The "Sell by" and expiration dates on the packages, however, haven't stopped people from testing how long Twinkies will last. As a chemistry experiment in the 1970s, then science teacher Roger Bennatti and his students at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill, Maine, wondered just how well the snack would remain preserved. In an interview with The Straits Times in 2019, Bennatti says that his test Twinkie is "older, it's grayer, and it's more flaky. You know, but it's become more brittle [...]. It's more fragile because it's desiccated. It's lost a great deal of its moisture." However, the more than 40-year-old Twinkie has maintained its shape and doesn't appear moldy.

The results were a little different for science fan Colin Purrington from Pennsylvania. He purchased Twinkies as mementos in 2012 when Hostess filed for bankruptcy and started shutting down its factories. In late 2020, he was desperate for a dessert and remembered that he had stored the cakes in the basement. He opened the box, took off the wrapper, and bit into a Twinkie before realizing he just made a mistake. He told NPR, "It tasted like old sock. Not that I've ever eaten old sock." After that, he looked at the rest of the snacks. One had a dark, quarter-sized blemish; another's wrapper was completely gray and shriveled; and the cream of a third had turned dry and beige.

So, if you're looking for a fun mold science project idea to do at home, consider forgetting about the next box of Twinkies you buy. After a few years, there may be something interesting in those individual wrappers. Just don't take it to the ISS, the crumbs are probably banned.