Q. Could a Twinkie really survive intact for 100 years, as people say?
A. Go ahead and pull that box of Twinkies from your bomb shelter pantry, as their ultra-long shelf life is more urban myth than truth. Made primarily of flour, various sweeteners, water, shortening and egg (with another two dozen or so minor food components thrown in for good measure), Twinkies have an official shelf life of a mere 25 days. It’s a shockingly short term, one that human experience strongly suggests is overly conservative.
Office of Strategic Communication