Meals in space
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- 1 min
- Published:
- 30 August 2001
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Astronauts have to force themselves to eat in space because weightlessness causes sea-sickness, nausea and flu-symptoms. From a purely social perspective, however, a meal inside a spacecraft or capsule is often one of the high points of the day.
Astronauts float while eating so food trays are affixed to their trousers with velcro. The packaging is also equipped with velcro to keep the food in place.
Each astronaut has his/her own set of cutlery. As the food is kept inside packaging, a pair of scissors is an important tool. The cutlery, which is made from an expensive lightweight material, carries the astronaut’s name and the name of the mission. Some astronauts have been known to sell their coveted cutlery over the internet once their mission is completed.
Astronauts sample their food prior to their journey. The food they choose constitutes their diet throughout the mission, e.g. for six months. It is this – The Baseline Food List – which Arla Foods hopes to be part of.
Each astronaut is assigned a special colour for his/her food pack. As no food remains are allowed, all food must be consumed. Each astronaut consumes approx. 1,360 grams per day.
The dehydrator is perhaps the space kitchen’s most important piece of equipment. It provides the space crew with the exact amount of water for the various food and drink packs. It also ensures that food and drink have the correct temperature.
Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by more than 8,400 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the leading players in the international dairy arena with well-known brands like Arla®, Lurpak®, Puck® and Castello®. Arla Foods is focused on providing good dairy nourishment from sustainable farming and operations and is also the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.
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