The food systems slated for future NASA missions must meet crew nutritional needs, be acceptable for
consumption, and use resources efficiently. Although the current food system of prepackaged, moderately
stabilized food items works well for International Space Station (ISS) missions, many of the current space
menu items do not maintain acceptability and/or nutritive value beyond 2 years. Longer space missions
require that the food system can sustain the crew for 3 to 5 years without replenishment. The task
“Integration of Product, Package, Process, and Environment: A Food System Optimization” has the
objective of optimizing food-product shelf life for the space-food system through product recipe
adjustments, new packaging and processing technologies, and modified storage conditions.