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Potential post-harvest processing technologies for a space mission |
P. J. SLADE, National Center for Food Safety & Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, IIT Moffett Campus, 6502 S. Archer Rd., Summit-Argo, IL 60501-1923 Post-harvest processing technologies for long duration space missions would be one of three types, namely, in-transit, surface habitat, or evolved base. Fresh vegetable crops grown in transit or on such a base may include carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, spinach, chard, cabbage, and onion. On the planetary surface, potatoes, wheat, soybeans, rice and peanuts may also be included in the list. A key consideration in the design and development of technologies to process such a diverse range of raw commodities is whether or not the product would be produced in small quantities, “just in time,” or processed in relatively larger quantities and packaged and stored for later consumption. Some products may be consumed with minimal further processing, whereas others may well become ingredients of further processed foods. Important unit operations to consider in development of such products include separation, size adjustment, heat transfer, mass transfer, mixing and blending, and biological and chemical treatments. The technologies behind several unit operations may be combined into discrete processing capabilities, leading to potential development of processing equipment such as a fruit and vegetable processor, a general purpose mill, a soymilk, tofu, okara, and whey (STOW) processor, a breadmaker, or several other possible configurations. The resultant product range could include such staples as fruit and vegetable juice, concentrates, and jams, flours and powders, soy-based products, and bread and pasta. To achieve this, certain process and product development constraints must be addressed, including issues relating to the miniaturization of food processing equipment, integration of processing technologies with packaging, and the full evaluation of sensory, organoleptic, nutritional, and shelf-life attributes of the products under extraterrestrial conditions of storage and use.
Session 2, An advanced food system for long duration space missions
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