What Happens When You Eat An Expired Twinkie

Given the long list of chemicals and preservatives on their ingredients list, Twinkies have long held the reputation of being an ideal food to stock up on in an underground bunker in case of nuclear war. In other words, these creamy, golden snack cakes will probably outlast us all.

However, it was reported in 2020 that their infinite shelf life had been vastly overestimated. In a tweet that has since been blocked from public view, Twinkies aficionado Colin Purrington revealed what happened when he opened a box of Twinkies that he had hoarded away eight years earlier following Hostess' bankruptcy and subsequent closure (the brand returned to grocery stores two years later). Spoiler alert: "Although I grew up thinking Twinkies would last for years, if not forever, I was wrong," Purrington tweeted (via Food Network).

Describing the experience of eating an eight-year-old Twinkie, Purrington said: "The one I bit into was chewy, unsweet, and smelled like rotting ginkgo fruit. I gagged. I have nobody to blame but myself—the box clearly warned, 'Best Used by Nov 26th' (2012)." Continuing, he noted the cream filling in one had turned brown and shrunken. Another Twinkie was "hosting an organism of some sort." Yet another was shriveled and brown.

It should be noted, however, that Twinkies don't technically have an expiration date; it's a best-by date. The best-by date is a guideline for when the product is expected to taste its best. Past that date, Twinkies may turn stale, lose flavor, or even grow mold if stored improperly.

While eating a Twinkie after the best-by date probably won't make you sick, quality can decline significantly. In rare cases, particularly if the snack was exposed to heat or moisture, microbial growth could cause gastrointestinal upset. When deciding whether your Twinkie is okay to eat, pay attention to strange smells, odd textures, or a cream filling that looks like a science experiment. If anything seems off, it's safest to toss it. (Read about 9 common food storage mistakes that could be putting your health at risk.)

Contrary to many people's expectations, Twinkies actually have a rather narrow window of opportunity for consuming them in their freshest state. From the date of their production, these spongy treats have 45 days before their quality begins to significantly decline. If that seems rather short, consider that their shelf life used to be only 26 days before food scientists tweaked the recipe by removing dairy. However, Twinkies still contain ingredients like flour, sugar, and eggs, which will eventually go bad despite the presence of preservatives (here's what happens if you eat expired eggs).

To keep them at their best, Hostess advises storing them at room temperature in a cool, dry place. Keep them away from direct sunlight as well. That means your pantry or cupboard is a good place to store them, but you'll want to skip the fridge. Some Reddit users have suggested that you can also freeze your Twinkies to extend their shelf life, although it may affect the texture.