NASA: We will not prepare kosher food for astronauts
NASA astronauts will not have kosher or halal meals because the place where the food is produced is not kosher, but anyone can bring kosher food in a personal menu—even matzo for Passover.
Space.com reviewed the subject of keeping kosher and halal in space and spoke with Vickie Kloeris, director of NASA's Food Systems Laboratory, who is responsible for developing menus as well as creating and packaging the dishes that are sent to the International Space Station.
Kloeris explained to the American site that astronauts would not have kosher or halal meals because the place where the food was produced is not kosher, even if the food itself is kosher.
The scientist added that it is nevertheless possible to cruise outside the borders of the earth with a limited amount of kosher or halal food; every astronaut is given the opportunity to take a small amount of personal food that would be solely his own, observing his traditions, and comprising about 10% of his or her menu.
Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, for example, took kosher food with him, and according to Kloeris, there is no known astronaut who took halal food with him.
Still, the real problem is the amount of food that would need to be supplied. NASA's lab would have to turn quite a few stones in search of food that can be produced and packaged to fit all kosher requirements.
According to Kloeris, anyone who actually insists on eating only matzos on Passover while on the International Space Station can bring enough matzos for the holiday.
Occasionally, NASA's food labs are forced to meet the astronauts half way when they have different dietary requirements, such as a lactose-free menu, and sometimes, they receive special packages intended just for them.
However, such cases are relatively rare. Kloeris has clarified that many astronauts may ask for a menu with less gluten or lactose, but they do not really require adhering to a strict diet.
