# When will the last of the Twinkies expire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188 "2012-11-16T14:52:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/1 "2012-11-16T14:52:35Z")
So, Hostess is seeking permission from the bankruptcy court to liquidate. With the workers still on strike, we can assume no more twinkies are being produced right now. With a shelf-life of only 25 days, does this mean I’m correct in assuming that there will be NO MORE TWINKIES by 2013? Anywhere on Earth? Good grief. The Mayans were right. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/2 "2012-11-16T14:53:39Z")
About 2032. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/3 "2012-11-16T15:44:10Z")
True story. I was in Iraq, this was in 2003, and our dining facility was the most woefully understocked and pathetic chow hall in all the Army. Some nights we got nothing but boiled potatoes. Once, during the battle of Fallujah (between our base and Baghdad, interrupting our supplies), we just got a plate full of bones. Anyway, one day there was a giant bowl full of twinkies set out at the end of the line for anyone to take. It was a sight to see. Soldiers were taking handfuls and just shoveling them in. I ate one or two myself, before I noticed the green spots. It was like they were invisible at first, but after you saw them, you couldn’t NOT see them. They were everywhere, all over the twinkies. Big green moldy splotches. On every single twinkie. Everybody hated me for pointing them out, because sweet sugary ignorance is bliss. Anyway, I’ve always wondered how long it must have taken for those twinkies to get to that point? How long were they sitting in a container on a ship somewhere before we got them covered in mold? Weeks? Months? YEARS?? Inquiring minds want to know. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/4 "2012-11-16T16:09:55Z")
Who knew Little Debbie would sucker punch both Dolly Madison and Hostess ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/5 "2012-11-16T16:46:44Z")
I thought Twinkies were eternal. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/6 "2012-11-16T17:05:45Z")
I haven’t had a twinkie in many moons, eating healthy and all. But I am going to blitz all the 7-11’s and scoop up all the twinkies snoballs and cupcakes and freeze them. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/7 "2012-11-16T18:45:03Z")
[Hostess Brands is no more](http://hostessbrands.com/Closing.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/8 "2012-11-16T19:22:30Z")
Just because the company goes bankrupt it doesn’t mean that the products it used to be produced will stop. Bankruptcy means that the assets of the company are sold to pay off the creditors. And “Hostess” and “Twinkies” brand names are valuable assets, and so will be sold along with the factories and other assets. Oftentimes the entire company is sold as a unit to the creditors who become the new stockholders in a brand new company that owns the old company lock stock and barrel. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/9 "2012-11-16T20:58:20Z")
Yeah, but what if they change the recipe? Your last chance to get a truly twinky Twinkie is expiring shortly, good sir! > [@Lemur866](#): > > Just because the company goes bankrupt it doesn’t mean that the products it used to be produced will stop. Bankruptcy means that the assets of the company are sold to pay off the creditors. And “Hostess” and “Twinkies” brand names are valuable assets, and so will be sold along with the factories and other assets. Oftentimes the entire company is sold as a unit to the creditors who become the new stockholders in a brand new company that owns the old company lock stock and barrel. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/10 "2012-11-16T21:47:16Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Yeah, but what if they change the recipe? Your last chance to get a truly twinky Twinkie is expiring shortly, good sir! Hostess has made numerous changes over the years anyway, but whoever acquires the name would be foolish to make changes right away. The name is only valuable if they can maintain the customer base with an identical product. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/11 "2012-11-17T02:03:09Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > Who knew Little Debbie would sucker punch both Dolly Madison and Hostess Boy, if Diabetic Porn doesn’t exist yet it will after today. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/12 "2012-11-17T03:08:23Z")
A quick search on EBAY reveals 3,794 listings for Twinkies. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/13 "2012-11-17T03:27:49Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Anyway, I’ve always wondered how long it must have taken for those twinkies to get to that point? How long were they sitting in a container on a ship somewhere before we got them covered in mold? Weeks? Months? YEARS?? > > Inquiring minds want to know. Not nearly as long as you think, especially if they were open. I don’t recall the details, 'cause it’s been about 10 years, but my son did an elementary school science fair project on What Makes Twinkies Go Bad. He opened all but one, and put them in all sorts of environments. Most of them dried out before they molded, but the one he kept in the bathroom and the one he spritzed with water daily both got green before a week was out. They’re not, apparently, immortal frankenfood. They just have good plastic wrappers that keep moisture out. But even a good plastic wrapper isn’t going to remain unpunctured forever. I was kind of disappointed that he got so many of them to go bad, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/14 "2012-11-17T03:28:01Z")
The package I bought today says Best by December 12, 703135 19:36, an oddly specific expiration date. So I guess 701,000 years give or take a century. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/15 "2012-11-17T03:37:48Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > The package I bought today says Best by December 12, 703135 19:36, an oddly specific expiration date. So I guess 701,000 years give or take a century. That’s its half-life. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/16 "2012-11-17T03:47:59Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Not nearly as long as you think, especially if they were open. I don’t recall the details, 'cause it’s been about 10 years, but **my son did an elementary school science fair project on What Makes Twinkies Go Bad.** He opened all but one, and put them in all sorts of environments. Most of them dried out before they molded, but the one he kept in the bathroom and the one he spritzed with water daily both got green before a week was out. There’s some [serious 😉 science](http://www.twinkiesproject.com/) out there regarding twinkies, with lots of good experiments that you and your kiddies can try at home! I’m gobsmacked that this thread can have over 10 posts already and somebody hasn’t already linked this. The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. project! I’m sure there must be something about the half-life of twinkies that you could deduce from all this. One of the experiments there, after all, is a radiation test. (They nuked a twinkie for 10 minutes on “Hi” and [observed its response](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickling_the_dragon%27s_tail).) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/17 "2012-11-17T03:55:36Z")
Who will continue to host the T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project site once Hostess is no more? SOMEBODY grab a copy for posterity! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/18 "2012-11-17T03:57:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > There’s some [serious 😉 science](http://www.twinkiesproject.com/) out there regarding twinkies, with lots of good experiments that you and your kiddies can try at home! I’m gobsmacked that this thread can have over 10 posts already and somebody hasn’t already linked this. The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. project! > > I’m sure there must be something about the half-life of twinkies that you could deduce from all this. One of the experiments there, after all, is a radiation test. (They nuked a twinkie for 10 minutes on “Hi” and [observed its response](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickling_the_dragon%27s_tail).) 😃 [The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Turing Test](http://www.twinkiesproject.com/turing.html) > [@](#): > > Test Information: > Test Subject 1: Standard Twinkie > Test Subject 2: Lovett College Sophomore > Control Subject: Standard Twinkie > Test Location: 4th floor room, Lovett College, Rice University > Start Time: Tuesday, May 2, 1995 21:21 CST > Stop Time: Wednesday, May 3,1995 21:50 CST > > Test Description: > This test was designed to test whether Twinkies are intelligent. We decided to do this test last, because we “killed” a lot of Twinkies during these experiments, and didn’t want to know before the other tests were over if they were sentient. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/19 "2012-11-17T04:05:19Z")
They’ll be around long enough for WALL-E’s little cockroach friend to enjoy one a loooooooong time from now. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188/20 "2012-11-17T07:57:29Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Hostess has made numerous changes over the years anyway, but whoever acquires the name would be foolish to make changes right away. The name is only valuable if they can maintain the customer base with an identical product. If another company buys the Twinkie name, I’m sure a lot of people will insist they don’t taste the same even if they’re made in the same factories by the same workers using the same recipes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-the-last-of-the-twinkies-expire/641188.md?page=2)