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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Food Acceptability, Menu Fatigue, and Aversion During the Sirius-21 Analog Mission

Spaceflight food systems are closed systems, meaning they are restricted to the variety and quantity of food launched within resource limitations of the mission. The acceptability of the food system has been linked to caloric intake and associated nutritional benefits. ISS crew members receive substantial personal food preferences (around 25% of their total intake) but have noted in debriefs that they would prefer more food variety and preference for the length of the missions and they tire of certain foods over six months. Limits on variety and personal preference are expected to increase as missions become further from Earth. It is possible that menu fatigue leads to decreases in acceptability and increased aversion to available foods that may contribute to the body mass loss often experienced by spaceflight crews. However, the impact of repeat food consumption on acceptability has not yet been systematically investigated across potential spaceflight food systems. Limited variety and crew preferences within food categories may have more severe physical and behavioral health and performance consequences as mission duration increases. Characterizing the relationship between food acceptability and mission duration will contribute to defining requirements for an acceptable food system that will support crew health and performance on long duration missions. This study evaluated acceptability of the food system used in the SIRIUS-21 8-month mission in Moscow, Russia. To capture in situ scoring of repeat consumption experiences, we administered a weekly food acceptability questionnaire to all 5 crewmembers throughout the mission. Crewmembers scored foods they consumed at 3 meals every 6 days on a 9-point hedonic scale and provided open-ended feedback regarding food context, attributes, and the meal. The sequence was intended to capture all days in the 7-day menu cycle. The repetition was intended to target repeat food ratings that may provide insight into onset of menu fatigue where they might stop eating some foods or limit their choices to their favorites. Every 30 days crewmembers completed two additional surveys to characterize the food system, any changes to the food system, and their experience with the food system. Data collection is complete. Data are currently being assessed by descriptive statistics and visualizations of the ratings over time. The primary goal is to look for trends in the trajectories of ratings of the food items over time – both within and between individuals – to determine if there are substantial decreases in acceptability across all foods, or within specific food categories (e.g., vegetables). The number of times a particular item is scored provides some information on the frequency of consumption (preference), and the overall number of unique items can give a measure of overall variety. We will assess whether individuals were more likely to have more observations on food items that are rated higher, and whether those who rated foods higher had more or less overall variety. Since the data are composed of longitudinal subjective ratings, repeated measures techniques will be used to quantify trends over time and how these may relate to preference and variety. We will assess how these trends relate to their characterization of and experience with the SIRIUS-21 food system. We will also provide content analysis of any additional feedback collected on the open-ended questions and debrief interviews.

Grace L. Douglas↗
NASA NTRS1975

Apollo food technology

Large improvements and advances in space food systems achieved during the Apollo food program are discussed. Modifications of the Apollo food system were directed primarily toward improving delivery of adequate nutrition to the astronaut. Individual food items and flight menus were modified as nutritional countermeasures to the effects of weightlessness. Unique food items were developed, including some that provided nutritional completeness, high acceptability, and ready-to-eat, shelf-stable convenience. Specialized food packages were also developed. The Apollo program experience clearly showed that future space food systems will require well-directed efforts to achieve the optimum potential of food systems in support of the physiological and psychological well-being of astronauts and crews.

Malcolm C. Smith↗
NASA NTRS2002

Advanced Life Support Food Subsystem Salad Crop Requirements

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) begins to look towards longer duration space flights, the importance of fresh foods and varied menu choices increases. Long duration space missions require development of both a Transit Food System and a Lunar or Planetary Food System. These two systems are intrinsically different since the first one will be utilized in the transit vehicle in microgravity conditions while the second will be used in conditions of partial gravity (hypogravity). The Transit Food System will consist of prepackaged food of extended shelf life. Microgravity imposes significant limitations on the ability of the crew to handle food and allows only for minimal processing. Salad crops will be available for the planetary mission. Supplementing the transit food system with salad crops is also being considered. These crops will include carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, spinach, chard, cabbage, and onion. The crops will be incorporated in the menu along with the prepackaged food. The fresh tasting salad crops will provide variety, texture, and color in the menu. This variety should provide increased psychological benefit. Preliminary studies on spinach, tomatoes, and bok choy have been completed. Sensory and analytical tests, including color and moisture were conducted on the chamber grown crops and compared to store bought spinach, tomatoes, and bok choy. Preliminary studies of the appropriate serving sizes and number of servings per week have also been conducted.

Perchonok, Michele H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Plant Atrium System for Food Production in NASA's Deep Space Habitat Tests

Future human space exploration missions will need functional habitat systems. Possible concepts are assessed for integration issues, power requirements, crew operations, technology, and system performance. A food production system concept was analyzed at NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) in 2011, and at NASA JSC in 2012. System utilizes fresh foods (vegetables and small fruits) which are harvested on a continuous basis. Designed to improve crew's diet and quality of life without interfering with other components or operations.

Massa, Gioia D.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Operational Evaluation of VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit

The 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) was the first operational evaluation of salad crop production technology in a NASA analog test. A systematic evaluation of rooting media and nutrient delivery systems were evaluated for three lettuce cultivars that have shown promise as candidates for a surface based food production system. The VEGGIE nutrient delivery system worked well, was able to be maintained by multiple operators with a minimum of training, and supported excellent lettuce growth for the duration of the test. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) evaluation was performed using ProSan(tm) as sanitation agent prior to consumption was approved, and the crew was allowed to consume the lettuce grown using the VEGGIE light cap and gravity based nutrient delivery system at the completion of the 14-day DRAT field test. The DRAT field test validated the crew operations; Growth of all lettuce cultivars was excellent. The operational DRAT field testing in the HDU identified light quality issues related to morphology and pigment development that will need to be addressed through additional testing. Feedback from the crew, ground support personnel, and human factors leads was uniformly positive on the psychological value of having the crop production system in the excursion module. A number of areas have been identified for future work, to minimize the "footprint" of the Food Production system through creative use of unused wall and floor space in the unit.

Stutte, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Operation Evaluation of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit

The 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) was the first operational evaluation of salad crop production technology in a NASA analog test. A systematic evaluation of rooting media and nutrient delivery systems were evaluated for three lettuce cultivars that have shown promise as candidates for a surface based food production system. The VEGGIE nutrient delivery system worked well, was able to be maintained by multiple operators with a minimum of training, and supported excellent lettuce growth for the duration of the test. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) evaluation was performed using ProSantm as sanitation agent prior to consumption was approved, and the crew was allowed to consume the lettuce grown using the VEGGIE light cap and gravity based nutrient delivery system at the completion of the 14-day DRAT field test. The DRAT field test validated the crew operations; Growth of all lettuce cultivars was excellent. The operational DRAT field testing in the HDU identified light quality issues related to morphology and pigment development that will need to be addressed through additional testing. Feedback from the crew, ground support personnel, and human factors leads was uniformly positive on the psychological value of having the crop production system in the excursion module. A number of areas have been identified for future work, to minimize the "footprint" of the Food Production system through creative use of unused wall and floor space in the unit.

Stutte, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Effect of Reduced Temperature Storage on Nutrient & Quality Stability in Space Food

The processed and prepackaged spaceflight food system is a critical human support system for manned space flights. As missions extend longer and farther from Earth over the next 20 years, strategies to stabilize the nutritional and sensory quality of food must be identified. For a mission to Mars, the space foods themselves must maintain quality for up to 5 years to align with cargo prepositioning scenarios. Optimizing the food system to achieve a 5‐year shelf life mitigates the risk of an inadequate food system during extended missions. Because previous attempts to determine a singular pathway to a 5‐year shelf life for food were unsuccessful, this investigation combines several approaches, based on science, technological advancement, and past empirical evidence, to determine their potential to extend the shelf life of the prepackaged food system for long duration missions. This study may identify food processing, packaging, and storage technologies that will be required for exploration missions and the extent that they must be implemented to achieve a 5‐year shelf life for the entire food system.

Cooper, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Improvement of Shelf Life for Space Food Through a Hurdle Approach

The processed and prepackaged spaceflight food system is a critical human support system for manned space flights. As missions extend longer and farther from Earth over the next 20 years, strategies to stabilize the nutritional and sensory quality of food must be identified. For a mission to Mars, the space foods themselves must maintain quality for up to 5 years to align with cargo prepositioning scenarios. Optimizing the food system to achieve a 5-year shelf life mitigates the risk of an inadequate food system during extended missions. Because previous attempts to determine a singular pathway to a 5-year shelf life for food were unsuccessful, this investigation combines several approaches, based on science, technological advancement, and past empirical evidence, that will define the prepackaged food system for long duration missions. This study supports the Advanced Food Technology strategic planning process by identifying food processing, packaging, and storage technologies that will be required for exploration missions and the extent that they must be implemented to achieve a 5-year shelf life for the entire food system.

Sirmons, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Food Mass Reduction Trade Study

Future long duration manned space flights beyond low earth orbit will require the food system to remain safe, acceptable, and nutritious while efficiently balancing appropriate vehicle resources such as mass, volume, power, water, and crewtime. Often, this presents a challenge since maintaining the quality of the food system can result in a higher mass and volume. The Orion vehicle is significantly smaller than the Shuttle vehicle and the International Space Station and the mass and volume available for food is limited. Therefore, the food team has been challenged to reduce the mass of the packaged food from 1.82 kg per person per day to 1.14 kg per person per day. Past work has concentrated on how to reduce the mass of the packaging which contributes to about 15% of the total mass of the packaged food system. Designers have also focused on integrating and optimizing the Orion galley equipment as a system to reduce mass. To date, there has not been a significant effort to determine how to reduce the food itself. The objective of this project is to determine how the mass and volume of the packaged food can be reduced while maintaining caloric and hydration requirements. The following tasks are the key elements to this project: (1) Conduct further analysis of the ISS Standard Menu to determine moisture, protein, carbohydrate, and fat levels. (2) Conduct trade studies to determine how to bring the mass of the food system down. Trade studies may include removing the water of the total food system and/or increasing the fat content. (3) Determine the preferred method for delivery of the new food (e.g. bars, or beverages) and the degree of replacement. (4) Determine whether there are commercially available products that meet the requirements. By the end of this study, an estimate of the mass and volume savings will be provided to the Constellation Program. In addition, if new technologies need to be developed to achieve the mass savings, the technologies, timeline, and budget will be identified at the end of the project.

Perchonok, Michele H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Plant Atrium System for Food Production in NASA's Deep Space Habitat Tests

In preparation for future human exploration missions to space, NASA evaluates habitat concepts to assess integration issues, power requirements, crew operations, technology, and system performance. The concept of a Food Production System utilizes fresh foods, such as vegetables and small fruits, harvested on a continuous basis, to improve the crew's diet and quality of life. The system would need to fit conveniently into the habitat and not interfere with other components or operations. To test this concept, a plant growing "atrium" was designed to surround the lift between the lower and upper modules of the Deep Space Habitat and deployed at NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) test site in 2011 and at NASA Johnson Space Center in 2012. With this approach, no-utilized volume provided an area for vegetable growth. For the 2011 test, mizuna, lettuce, basil, radish and sweetpotato plants were grown in trays using commercially available red I blue LED light fixtures. Seedlings were transplanted into the atrium and cared for by the. crew. Plants were then harvested two weeks later following completion of the test. In 2012, mizuna, lettuce, and radish plants were grown similarly but under flat panel banks of white LEDs. In 2012, the crew went through plant harvesting, including sanitizing tlie leafy greens and radishes, which were then consumed. Each test demonstrated successful production of vegetables within a functional hab module. The round red I blue LEDs for the 2011 test lighting cast a purple light in the hab, and were less uniformly distributed over the plant trays. The white LED panels provided broad spectrum light with more uniform distribution. Post-test questionnaires showed that the crew enjoyed tending and consuming the plants and that the white LED light in 2012 provided welcome extra light for the main HAB AREA.

Massa, Gioia D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Space shuttle/food system. Volume 2, Appendix C: Food cooling techniques analysis. Appendix D: Package and stowage: Alternate concepts analysis

The relative penalties associated with various techniques for providing an onboard cold environment for storage of perishable food items, and for the development of packaging and vehicle stowage parameters were investigated in terms of the overall food system design analysis of space shuttle. The degrees of capability for maintaining both a 40 F to 45 F refrigerated temperature and a 0 F and 20 F frozen environment were assessed for the following cooling techniques: (1) phase change (heat sink) concept; (2) thermoelectric concept; (3) vapor cycle concept; and (4) expendable ammonia concept. The parameters considered in the analysis were weight, volume, and spacecraft power restrictions. Data were also produced for packaging and vehicle stowage parameters which are compatible with vehicle weight and volume specifications. Certain assumptions were made for food packaging sizes based on previously generated space shuttle menus. The results of the study are shown, along with the range of meal choices considered.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2018

Extension of Space Food Shelf Life Through Hurdle Approach

The processed and prepackaged space food system is the main source of crew nutrition, and hence central to astronaut health and performance. Unfortunately, space food quality and nutrition degrade to unacceptable levels in two to three years with current food stabilization technologies. Future exploration missions will require a food system that remains safe, acceptable and nutritious through five years of storage within vehicle resource constraints. The potential of stabilization technologies (alternative storage temperatures, processing, formulation, ingredient source, packaging, and preparation procedures), when combined in hurdle approach, to mitigate quality and nutritional degradation is being assessed. Sixteen representative foods from the International Space Station food system were chosen for production and analysis and will be evaluated initially and at one, three, and five years with potential for analysis at seven years if necessary. Analysis includes changes in color, texture, nutrition, sensory quality, and rehydration ratio when applicable. The food samples will be stored at -20 C, 4 C, and 21 C. Select food samples will also be evaluated at -80 C to determine the impacts of ultra-cold storage after one and five years. Packaging film barrier properties and mechanical integrity will be assessed before and after processing and storage. At the study conclusion, if tested hurdles are adequate, formulation, processing, and storage combinations will be uniquely identified for processed food matrices to achieve a five-year shelf life. This study will provide one of the most comprehensive investigations of long duration food stability ever completed, and the achievement of extended food system stability will have profound impacts to health and performance for spaceflight crews and for relief efforts and military applications on Earth.

Cooper, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Nutrition and Foods as Related to Space Flight

U.S. space food development began with highly engineered foods that met rigid requirements imposed by the spacecraft design and short mission durations of the Mercury and Gemini programs. The lack of adequate bathroom facilities and limited food storage capacity promoted the development of low fiber diets to reduce fecal output. As missions lengthened, space food systems evolved, with the most basic design consideration always being the method of water supply. On the Apollo spacecraft, where water was abundant as a byproduct of fuel cell electricity generation, dehydrated food was used extensively. Such food has little advantage when water has to be transported to space to rehydrate it; therefore, more complex food systems were planned for Skylab, which used solar panels rather than fuel cells for electricity generation. The Skylab food system, the most advanced used in space to date, included freezers and refrigerators, increasing the palatability, variety, and nutritional value of the diet. On the Space Shuttle, power and weight constraints precluded the use of freezers, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. The availability of fuel cell by-product water was conducive to a shelf-stable food system with approximately half of the food dehydrated and the remainder made up of thermostabilized, irradiated, and intermediate-moisture foods.

Lane, Helen W.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Meal Replacement Mass Reduction and Integration Acceptability Study

NASA, in planning for long duration missions, has an imperative to provide a food system with the necessary nutrition, acceptability, and safety to ensure sustainment of crew health and performance. The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and future exploration missions are mass constrained; therefore we are challenged to reduce the mass of the food system by 10% while maintaining safety, nutrition, and acceptability for exploration missions. Food bars have previously been used to supplement meals in the Skylab food system, indicating that regular consumption of bars will be acceptable. However, commercially available products do not meet the requirements for a full meal replacement in the spaceflight food system. The purpose of this task is to develop a variety of nutritionally balanced breakfast replacement bars, which meet spaceflight nutritional, microbiological, sensorial, and shelf-life requirements, while enabling a 10% food mass savings. To date, six nutrient-dense meal replacement bars have been developed, using both traditional methods of compression as well as novel ultrasonic compression technologies developed by Creative Resonance Inc. (Phoenix, AZ). All bars will be prioritized based on acceptability and the four top candidates will be evaluated in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) to assess the frequency with which actual meal replacement options may be implemented. Specifically, overall impact to mood, satiety, dietary discomfort, and satisfaction with food will be analyzed to inform successful implementation strategies. In addition, these bars will be evaluated based on final product sensory acceptability, nutritional stability, qualitative stability of analytical measurements (i.e. water activity and texture), and microbiological compliance over two years of storage at room temperature and potential temperature abuse conditions to predict long-term acceptability. It is expected that this work will enable a successful meal replacement strategy to be implemented that maintains crew food consumption and health, while informing exploration missions with appropriate mass savings expectations.

Sirmons, T.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Controlled Environment Agriculture - Farming and Food Access for Healthy Diets

Fruits and vegetables are critical for a healthy diet and USDA guidelines recommend increasing fruit and vegetable consumption for almost all Americans. However, most food system lifecycle assessments do not capture the importance of these food groups in the food system. Moreover, long supply chains and limited access to fresh produce are particularly prevalent in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Many of these communities are food deserts or food swamps characterized by a lack of full-scale groceries, and a prevalence of convenience stores and fast-food restaurants. Stocking of fresh produce is difficult and often unprofitable for small stores. Convenience stores are usually space-limited, unable to achieve economies-of-scale in purchasing and have difficulty managing the short shelf-life of fresh produce. Controlled-Environment (CE) farming, including greenhouses and fully indoor vertical farms, have the potential to address persistent food access issues for disadvantaged communities. CE farming offers several potential advantages for food desert and food swamp neighborhoods, including shorter or non-existent transport distances and fewer middlemen, which could reduce costs. CE farming can be integrated into existing buildings at virtually any scale, providing local jobs and revitalization of community hubs such as shopping malls, or larger-scale farms located in close-in warehouse or industrial areas. Rainwater harvesting and recovery of nutrients from wastewater could further improve food system resilience and circularity. Geospatial modeling of CE farming in case study cities of various sizes and densities will help to quantify the benefits of CE farming. Geospatial modeling can help to answer questions such as whether sufficient collection area is available for rainwater harvesting for a CE farm, and what size of farm would be required to serve the community living within walking distance of the farm. This paper reports on progress in geospatial modeling of CE farming integration into several case study cities.

controlled environment agriculture↗
NASA NTRS2024

Enhancing Global Food Security: Opportunities for the American Meteorological Society

Food security is a key pillar of environmental security yet remains one of the world’s greatest challenges. Its obverse, food insecurity, negatively impacts health and well-being, drives mass migration, and undermines national security and global sustainable development. Ensuring food security is a delicate balance of myriad concerns within the atmospheric and Earth sciences, agronomy and agriculture engineering, social sciences, economics, monitoring, and policymaking. A Food Security Presidential Session at the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) 2022 Annual Meeting brought together experts across disciplines to tackle issues at the nexus of weather, climate, and food security. The starkest takeaway was the realization that, despite its importance and clear roles for the atmospheric and climate sciences, food security has not been a focus for the AMS community. The aim of this paper is to build on the perspectives shared by this expert panel and to identify overlapping issues and key points of intersection between the food-security community and AMS. We examine 1) the interactions between weather, climate, and the food system and how they influence food security; 2) the time and spatial scales of food security decision support that match weather and climate phenomena; 3) the role of both providers and users of information as well as decision-makers in improving research to operations for food security; and 4) the opportunities for the AMS community to address food security. We conclude that, moving forward, the AMS community is well-positioned to scale up its engagement across the global food system to address existing scientific needs and technology gaps to improve global food security.

Food security↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bionutrients-1: Utilizing Genomics and Transcriptomics to Assess the Reliability of Microorganisms for In Situ Nutrient Production on Long Duration Missions

The resupply of current long-duration crewed missions to the ISS relies on ground-launched supplies. As NASA looks toward Mars, ground-based resupply will no longer be an option. Critical nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and thiamin, degrade during long-term storage, and regular consumption of these nutrients is essential for astronaut health. Another challenge of current food systems is the difficulty of consuming sufficient calories when subsisting on the limited flavors of freeze-dried food, which can lead to weight loss. The inclusion of microorganism-based food systems could alleviate both concerns. For example, the fermentation of rehydrated milk into yogurt with microorganisms genetically incorporating genes to produce critical vitamins would allow for both in situ production of nutrients and a fresh food product with additional flavor profiles. In comparison to plant food production, microorganisms require less flight infrastructure. The BioNutrients-1 mission is demonstrating viability of microbial fermentation food production in microgravity and testing the reliability of this approach for long-duration missions lacking resupply. While the BioNutrients-1 mission includes the collection of multiple phenotypic measurements, this status update will focus on the processing of samples for genomics and transcriptomics analyses as well as the planned analysis pipelines. First, the BioNutrients-1 mission seeks to identify microorganisms capable of surviving long-duration storage at ambient temperatures while maintaining genetic fidelity. To achieve this, nine commonly employed microbial species were stored at ambient temperatures in Stasis Packs on the ISS for five years. The viability and mutation rates will be measured at multiple time points for both flown and ground control samples. From an omics perspective, the changes in the bulk rates of point mutations and genetic rearrangements across the Stasis Pack species during the five years of storage will be determined, providing valuable insights into the potential of these microorganisms for long-duration space missions. Second, the BioNutrients-1 mission is characterizing the impact of microgravity on fermentation. Two strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, each encoding antioxidants (β-carotene or zeaxanthin) were flown to ISS for storage and fermentation within simplified bioreactors (Production Packs). The impact of microgravity on the expression of the antioxidant production genes and general metabolic genes will be determined using RNA sequencing. Ultimately, the transcriptome data will be compared to phenotypic measurements, such as the antioxidant yield, end-state biomass, and the production of EtOH, to determine the impacts of microgravity and long-term storage on microbial fermentation. The findings from this research will be instrumental in understanding the challenges and opportunities of microorganism-based food systems in space missions.

BioNutrients↗