The Final Frontier for The Atlantis: 5 Food Facts For Space

In honor of the touch down of the Atlantis and its final mission, I thought it would be interesting to share some “food facts for space” with you.
There are a few special considerations for food that must be made when preparing for a flight into space. These are:
1. Food storage, if anyone has lived in NYC, you understand the value of space when living in confined quarters. You know small packages, small trash deposit areas…
2. Food preservation: ­Foods are dehydrated or exposed to radiation to enhance the length of time food stays fresh. They certainly cannot go to the grocery store or a drive-thru to get food, so they must preserve it for the long trip. Now that McDonalds has taken over the earth, I wonder if they will be the first fast food joint to open in space?
3. Food safety: Atkins dieters are not the only folks who cannot eat bread. Yes astronauts cannot eat bread, crackers or any item like salt or pepper because small particles could float throughout the spacecraft and cause serious complications for the astronauts (by floating into an eye or ear) and their vehicle (floating into an air vent).
4. Food state (liquid vs. solid): Many foods are dehydrated and then water is used to reconstitute the food. Some items like pepper is available as a liquid to help improve the flavor of the food and minimize the risk of floating particles within the shuttle.
5. Food smell and flavor: Bet you didn’t know that gravity is a part of smell and without it the aroma of food drifts away before the nose has a chance to smell. Gravity also affects the fluid in our body. Fluid rises to the top half of the body, so the crew tends to have difficulty smelling anmd tasting becuase the fluid results in having a stuffy nose.