Space Food Sticks
Encyclopedia
Space Food Sticks are snack
s originally created for the Pillsbury Company in the late 1960s by the company's chief food technologist Howard Bauman who later was instrumental in establishing the HACCP regulations
used for food safety.
Bauman and his team were instrumental in creating the first solid food consumed by a NASA
astronaut—small food cubes—eaten by Scott Carpenter
on board Aurora 7 in 1962. Space food
cubes were followed by other space-friendly foods created by Pillsbury's food engineers, such as non-crumbly cake, relish that could be served in slices, and meat that needed no refrigeration.
In 1970, Pillsbury filed for a trademark
for a
which they imaginatively dubbed Space Food Sticks.
A forerunner of energy bars, Space Food Sticks were promoted by Pillsbury for their association with NASA's efforts to create safe, healthy and nutritional space food. In 1972, astronauts on board Skylab 3
were introduced to modified versions of Space Food Sticks to test their "gastrointestinal compatibility."
Capitalizing on the popularity of the Apollo space missions, Pillsbury marketed Space Food Sticks as a "nutritionally balanced between meal snack." Fourteen individually-packaged sticks were included in a box, and came in six flavors such as peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate.
Space Food Sticks disappeared from supermarket shelves in the 1980s. They were revived by Retrofuture Products, of Port Washington, NY in 2006. Two flavors, chocolate and peanut butter, were released. They are being sold at flight museums such as the Kennedy Space Center
and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum as well as online.
Space Food Sticks have shown up in popular culture including animated TV series The Simpsons
, the books of R.L. Stine, and the film Super 8
. They are frequently cited as the favorite snack of Olympic gold medal winner Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe
.
In Australia, Space Food Sticks have remained continuously in production since their introduction, but in fewer flavor varieties than the American versions (chocolate and caramel only). They are marketed to modern-day Australian children as an energy food.
Snack
A snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
s originally created for the Pillsbury Company in the late 1960s by the company's chief food technologist Howard Bauman who later was instrumental in establishing the HACCP regulations
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP , is a systematic preventive approach to food safety and pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical, and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection...
used for food safety.
Bauman and his team were instrumental in creating the first solid food consumed by a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut—small food cubes—eaten by Scott Carpenter
Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter is an American engineer, former test pilot, astronaut, and aquanaut. He is best known as one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959....
on board Aurora 7 in 1962. Space food
Space food
Space food is food products, specially created and processed for consumption by astronauts in outer space. The food has specific requirements of providing balanced nutrition for the health of individuals working in space, while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery...
cubes were followed by other space-friendly foods created by Pillsbury's food engineers, such as non-crumbly cake, relish that could be served in slices, and meat that needed no refrigeration.
In 1970, Pillsbury filed for a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for a
- "non-frozen balance energy snack in rod form containing nutritionally balanced amounts of carbohydrate, fat and protein"
which they imaginatively dubbed Space Food Sticks.
A forerunner of energy bars, Space Food Sticks were promoted by Pillsbury for their association with NASA's efforts to create safe, healthy and nutritional space food. In 1972, astronauts on board Skylab 3
Skylab 3
Skylab 3 was the second manned mission to Skylab. The Skylab 3 mission started July 28, 1973, with the launch of three astronauts on the Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 59 days, 11 hours and 9 minutes...
were introduced to modified versions of Space Food Sticks to test their "gastrointestinal compatibility."
Capitalizing on the popularity of the Apollo space missions, Pillsbury marketed Space Food Sticks as a "nutritionally balanced between meal snack." Fourteen individually-packaged sticks were included in a box, and came in six flavors such as peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate.
Space Food Sticks disappeared from supermarket shelves in the 1980s. They were revived by Retrofuture Products, of Port Washington, NY in 2006. Two flavors, chocolate and peanut butter, were released. They are being sold at flight museums such as the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum as well as online.
Space Food Sticks have shown up in popular culture including animated TV series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, the books of R.L. Stine, and the film Super 8
Super 8 (film)
Super 8 is a 2011 American science fiction action film written and directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler and was released on June 10, 2011 in conventional and IMAX theaters...
. They are frequently cited as the favorite snack of Olympic gold medal winner Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
.
In Australia, Space Food Sticks have remained continuously in production since their introduction, but in fewer flavor varieties than the American versions (chocolate and caramel only). They are marketed to modern-day Australian children as an energy food.
External links
- Space Food Sticks Preservation Society. Official site.
- Space Food Sticks making comeback. (TruveoTruveoTruveo is a search engine for Web video, based in San Francisco and operated by AOL. Truveo was founded in 2004 by Timothy Tuttle and Adam Beguelin. Truveo launched its first commercial video search service in September 2005. Truveo was acquired by AOL in January 2006...
) - - Howard Bauman obituary(Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
) - Original Pillsbury TV commercial (YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
) - Original Pillsbury TV commercial(YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
) - Discussion of Space Food Sticks (Boingboing)
- Space Food ((NASA))
- Beyond Tang: Food in Space(NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
) - Water Gun, Helmet Feedport, In-Suit Drink Bag, and Food StickNASA Lunar Surface Journal)