ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2011) — Space food for astronauts tastes better and is now healthier than ever before due to significant food science developments. However, a new study in the Journal of Food Science (JFS) published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) highlights the challenges that need to be addressed so that astronauts can travel to Mars and beyond.
Without an adequate food system, it is certain that space crew members' health and performance would be compromised. The study authors, who are from NASA, Lockheed Martin and North Carolina State University, explain that the food developed for long-duration missions must:
- provide the nutrients and taste acceptability to sustain crew health and performance
- have a shelf life requirement of 3-to-5 years with sustained vitamin delivery
- be safe after cooking and processing in partial gravity
- be formulated and packaged in such a way that the mass and subsequent waste is within the allowable limits of proposed future space vehicles
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