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Canada on the Menu

Canadian foods will be a feature of Expedition 20/21, as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Robert Thirsk will have a selection of authentic Canadian products for himself and his crewmembers to enjoy while in space. The foods set to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS) come from across the country, but there was a lengthy process to get through before they ended up on the crew's menu.

All the products are commercially available. Through a market survey, an initial selection was made by the Food Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The products had to meet a few specific criteria in terms of shelf life and ease of preparation. Then, a CSA and Agriculture Canada team did tasting sessions to evaluate the selected products on criteria such as taste, colour, texture, and general appearance.

During the mission, the ISS crew members can look forward to a meal with a number of international flavours on the menu. It should be quite a treat!