9781422280430

Flavorings, Colorings, and Preservatives

Bennatti’s goal was to see how long a preserved food could last before it turned into a moldy green goo or disintegrated into inedible dust. The years came and went. Students studied, did their homework, and graduated. Bennatti retired in 2004. All the while the Twinkie remained in the classroom under a glass case, seemingly impervious to air, moisture, bacteria, and everything else that causes food to decay. The Blue Hills snack was a celebrity of sorts, known as “the world’s oldest Twinkie.” Hostess, the maker of Twinkies and other snacks, went bankrupt in 2012 and announced it was going to stop baking the cakes (another company would resume production). Four years later, the Blue Hills Twinkie that had supposedly had a shelf life of only 25 days turned 40 years old. It was still well preserved, although time had

Manufacturers add preservatives to foods so that they can sit on shelves for longer periods of time without spoiling.

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