Olabi Ammar, Hunter Jean, Jackson Peter, Segal Michele, Spies Rupert, Wang Carolyn, Lau Christina, Ong Christopher, Alexander Conor, Raskob Evan, Plichta Jennifer, Zeira Ohad, Rivera Randy, Wang Susan, Pottle Bill, Leung Calvin, Vicens Carrie, Tao Christine, Beers Craig, Fung Grace, Levine Jacob, Yoo Jaeshin, Jackson Joanna, Saikkonen Kelly, Zimmerman Matthew, Cunningham Megan, Crum Michele, Ishman Naquan, Voo Norman, Cadena Raul, Relinger Robert, Wada Saori
Food Science Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Habitation (Elmsford). 2003;9(1-2):17-30. doi: 10.3727/1542966034605252.
During space missions, such as the prospective Mars mission, crew labor time is a strictly limited resource. The diet for such a mission (based on crops grown in a bioregenerative life support system) will require astronauts to prepare their meals essentially from raw ingredients. Time spent on food processing and preparation is time lost for other purposes. Recipe design and diet planning for a space mission should therefore incorporate the time required to prepare the recipes as a critical factor. In this study, videotape analysis of an experienced chef was used to develop a database of recipe preparation time. The measurements were highly consistent among different measurement teams. Data analysis revealed a wide variation between the active times of different recipes, underscoring the need for optimization of diet planning. Potential uses of the database developed in this study are discussed and illustrated in this work.
