39C-15

L. C. WENZEL, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 and M. B. Stone.

One of the main concerns for advanced space travel is food utilization and replenishment of food sources. Until the development of a planetary food system evolves, shelf stable foods are needed to sustain human life in space. Shelf stable foods should be nutritious, safe, and familiar to the astronauts.

Our objective was to develop shelf stable bagels suitable for extended Lunar and Martian missions and for use on the International Space Station.

A laboratory scale procedure was used to produce bagels containing bread flour, gluten, yeast, sucrose, sodium chloride, water, fumaric acid, and glycerine (8 or 10 %). Bagels were vacuum sealed and nitrogen flushed in three-ply foil laminate packages containing oxygen scavengers. Water activity, percent moisture, pH, total microbial counts, and consumer sensory characteristics were determined on fresh bagels. Other samples were stored in an Environator Accelerated Storage Chamber at 35°C for 10 weeks, which is equivalent to 10 months storage at ambient temperature. A trained sensory panel weekly evaluated presence of off-flavors on a semi-structured linear scale.

When 8% glycerine was used to reduce water in the formula, bagels contained 27.5-29.0% moisture, and had water activities of 0.81-0.86. Bagels made with 10% glycerine contained 26.9-29.4 percent moisture, and had water activities of 0.80-0.82. The pH values ranged from 4.4-4.5 for all samples. Total microbial counts, and those selective for yeast and molds, were at acceptable levels throughout storage. Panelists scored bagels as having "no" to "slight" off-flavors during storage equivalent to 10 months. Freshly prepared bagels had average to above average hedonic scores for overall appearance, aroma, flavor, and overall acceptability.

Shelf stable bagels are a nutritious, safe food that may add variety to the diets of astronauts for extended space missions.