Before astronauts leave Earth, they undergo intense training, especially in physical abilities, technical skills, and their diet. According to their special diet plan, they can't eat bread in space—but why?
According to Saadnews' Science and Technology service, as reported by KhabarOnline, astronauts, while on a space mission, mostly eat foods that require adding water or reheating. Their food is also packaged in heat-resistant bags or containers, and the contents undergo specific processes before packaging.
For example, astronauts' food menu includes cooked meat, but the meat is ionized on Earth before packaging. Therefore, fresh food products are very rare in space.
Astronauts typically have three meals a day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—which are similar to the military rations used during difficult missions.
Since the 1960s, when space exploration began, NASA and other space agencies banned the consumption of bread in space. However, during the Gemini 3 mission in 1965, two astronauts broke this rule, causing bread crumbs to scatter all over the cabin. Both astronauts were immediately reprimanded.
The main reason astronauts are not allowed to eat bread on spacecraft or the International Space Station is safety. In fact, eating bread produces crumbs that, in zero or low gravity, could pose risks such as damaging or causing fires to sensitive equipment. Bread crumbs can also find their way into the astronauts' measuring tools, air filters, and respiratory equipment. As a result, while performing daily tasks, they might accidentally inhale the crumbs or have them get into their eyes.
Concerns like these have led to astronaut food rations excluding items like chips, pastries, certain cheeses, and even salt.
