50-year-old Twinkie is world’s oldest

The world’s oldest Twinkie is turning 50.

A chemistry teacher in Maine opened it in 1976 after a student asked how long they’d last. It’s been sitting in a glass case at the school for decades. The former Chemistry teacher in Blue Hill, Maine, was discussing the use of preservatives and additives when a student asked how long the Twinkie would last. The teacher said he didn’t know, but that they should test it, and ever since, it’s been in the glass case. The teacher retired in 2004, and care of the Twinkie was handed off to a student, who is now Dean of the same school.

For the record, Hostess says at the time that particular Twinkie was sold, the shelf life was 27 days. Today, it’s about 45 days due to better packaging. Considering it’s 50 years old, it looks pretty good, but resembles a small, stale loaf of bread, so you probably wouldn’t want to eat it.