The world’s oldest Twinkie (pictured in the case in the lower, right corner) is over 40 years old and is still going strong.

What started as a simple science class experiment in 1976 ended up exposing the timelessness of a time-honored treat.

Chemistry teacher Roger Bennatti placed an unwrapped, fresh Twinkie atop a classroom chalkboard in 1976. He did this so his class at George Stevens Academy in Maine could see how long it took for it to decompose.

Despite the official 25-day shelf-life for a Twinkie, the answer to the question of how long it will take for one to decompose remains unanswered. Today, 40 years later, that Twinkie remains without mold or obvious decomposition.

The Twinkie remains available for students to observe. It is now in a glass case, since it has been designated as the world’s oldest Twinkie. It is faded and drier than one fresh off the shelf, but given its age, it is surprisingly untouched by the years.