Astronauts Need Nutritious Food Boost

CHICAGOFoods may lose their nutrients during extended space missions; therefore, food scientists are exploring different packaging or other means to increase food shelf life for exploration missions exceeding three years, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science.

NASA researchers evaluated the stability of fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins in supplements and in foods from a long-duration spaceflight on the International Space Station (ISS). Tested items included tortillas, almonds and dried apricots, commercially-packed salmon, freeze-dried broccoli au gratin, multivitamins and vitamin D supplements.

Findings revealed vitamins in tortillas decreased significantly; vitamins in salmon decreased significantly after 353 days; broccoli au gratin had 15 percent to 20 percent decreases in folic acid and vitamins K and C; a multivitamin supplement used for the study showed that vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin C decreased after at least 353 days of storage; and, vitamin D in the supplement declined over time, the longest point in the study was after 880 days of spaceflight.