"We have to confess: When we heard that Twinkies will have nearly double the shelf life, 45 days, when they return to stores next week, our first reaction was -- days? Not years?"
"Urban legend has long deemed Twinkies the cockroaches of the snack food world, a treat that can survive for decades, what humanity would have left to eat come the apocalypse. The true shelf life -- which used to be 26 days -- seems somewhat less impressive by comparison.
While the Twinkie is indeed a highly processed food -- its three dozen or so ingredients include polysorbate 60, sodium stearoyl lactylate and others that could only come from a lab -- it isn't any more so than thousands of other food products out there."
Maria Godoy reports for NPR's The Salt blog July 10, 2013.
SEE ALSO:
"Twinkies Will Last Longer Than Before When They Hit Shelves Again" (AP)
"Sweet Tweets: Social Media Pave Way for Twinkies' Return" (USA TODAY)
"Start the Countdown! Twinkies Return To Shelves July 15" (CNN)
Official Hostess Twinkies Countdown Clock
"How Junk Food Can End Obesity" (The Atlantic)
"How Ultra-Processed Foods Are Killing Us" (The Atlantic: Marion Nestle: 11/4/10)
"Why The Atlantic's Defense of Junk Food Fails" (Mother Jones)
"Food And Racism: No, Not Paula Deen, At 'The Atlantic'" (Forbes)
"No, Fast Food Isn’t Actually Good for You: in Defense of Pollanites" (Grist)
"The Atlantic’s Latest Silly Idea Is Wrong: No, Fast Food Won’t Cure Obesity" (Salon)
"The Atlantic: How Junk Food Can End Obesity" (Knight Science Journalism Tracker)
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