Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions, Houston, TX 77058-8487, USA.
J Food Sci. 2012 Jan;77(1):S29-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02445.x. Epub 2011 Nov 10.
To determine the suitability of retort processed foods to support long-duration spaceflight, a series of 36-mo accelerated shelf life studies were performed on 13 representative retort pouch products. Combined sensory evaluations, physical properties assessments, and nutritional analyses were employed to determine shelf life endpoints for these foods, which were either observed during the analysis or extrapolated via mathematical projection. Data obtained through analysis of these 13 products were later used to estimate the shelf life values of all retort-processed spaceflight foods. In general, the major determinants of shelf life appear to be the development of off-flavor and off-color in products over time. These changes were assumed to be the result of Maillard and oxidation reactions, which can be initiated or accelerated as a result of the retort process and product formulation. Meat products and other vegetable entrées are projected to maintain their quality the longest, between 2 and 8 y, without refrigeration. Fruit and dessert products (1.5 to 5 y), dairy products (2.5 to 3.25 y), and starches, vegetable, and soup products (1 to 4 y) follow. Aside from considerable losses in B and C vitamin content, nutritional value of most products was maintained throughout shelf life. Fortification of storage-labile vitamins was proposed as a countermeasure to ensure long-term nutritive value of these products. The use of nonthermal sterilization technologies was also recommended, as a means to improve initial quality of these products and extend their shelf life for use in long-duration missions. Data obtained also emphasize the importance of low temperature storage in maintaining product quality.
Retort sterilized pouch products are garnering increased commercial acceptance, largely due to their improved convenience and quality over metal-canned products. Assessment of the long-term stability of these products with ambient storage can identify potential areas for improvement, and ultimately increase consumer satisfaction with these technologies.
为了确定蒸煮袋食品是否适合支持长时间的太空飞行，对 13 种典型的蒸煮袋产品进行了 36 个月的加速货架寿命研究。采用综合感官评价、物理性能评估和营养分析来确定这些食品的货架寿命终点，这些终点是在分析过程中观察到的，或通过数学预测推断得出的。通过对这 13 种产品的分析获得的数据后来被用于估计所有蒸煮处理的太空飞行食品的货架寿命值。一般来说，货架寿命的主要决定因素似乎是产品随时间推移产生异味和变色。这些变化被认为是美拉德和氧化反应的结果，这些反应可能是由于蒸煮过程和产品配方而引发或加速的。肉类产品和其他蔬菜主菜预计在没有冷藏的情况下质量保持最长，为 2 至 8 年。水果和甜点产品（1.5 至 5 年）、乳制品（2.5 至 3.25 年）以及淀粉、蔬菜和汤品（1 至 4 年）则紧随其后。除了 B 族和 C 族维生素含量的大量损失外，大多数产品的营养价值在整个货架寿命期间都得到了维持。建议强化储存不稳定的维生素，以确保这些产品的长期营养价值。还建议使用非热灭菌技术，作为改善这些产品初始质量并延长其货架寿命以用于长时间任务的一种手段。获得的数据还强调了低温储存对于保持产品质量的重要性。
蒸煮袋产品由于其在便利性和质量方面优于金属罐产品，因此越来越受到商业认可。通过对这些产品在环境储存条件下的长期稳定性进行评估，可以确定潜在的改进领域，并最终提高消费者对这些技术的满意度。
