The History of Astronaut Ice Cream

Astronaut ice cream’s story begins in the 1970s with Ron Smith, the founder of American Outdoor Products. One day, Smith got a message from the company Goddard Air and Space Museum to make some of their freeze-dried foods. “Freeze-dried ice cream was used by the space program. They want to know if we can make it, so they can sell it in their gift shop.”

The initial product was a far cry from the neatly packaged bars you’ll see today: “It was frozen solid, and then cut with a bandsaw(电动带锯), if you can believe it.” Then, the ice cream was freeze-dried using a specialized machine, which turned the ice directly into gas. Finally, about three-quarters of an ounce was loaded into a package.

The product also probably got a boost from the unique economic conditions of the time: a long recession made small luxuries much more attractive. Ice cream is a good example of a small luxury—you absolutely don’t need it physically, but emotionally it can make you quite happy for very little extra expense. And, with its long shelf life, it could be stored in the cupboard until the desire hit.

Novelty(新奇的)treats like astronaut ice cream may be associated with childhood, but it’s adults who have given them their enduring popularity. And something especially magical happens when an ice-cream-obsessed kid grows up and creates one of the most famous candy shops in the country.

“I remember getting astronaut ice cream at a trip to a theme park during camp,” says Dylan Lauren, of famed Dylan’s Candy Bar. “I thought it was so neat that I could eat a sweet that’s also enjoyed in outer space. I savored each bite and kept half in my bed to show my parents after camp instead of eating the whole thing at once.”

Lauren’s stores have a nostalgia(怀旧之情)section, which always stocks freeze-dried ice cream. “I see from the reaction on customers’ faces that it is a highlight for adults to recall and for kids to see because it’s so cool,” she says.

There are billions of people on this planet, and many of us love to eat meat. Can the demand be filled in a sustainable(可持续的) and affordable way? A bunch of businessmen are not only optimistic but are working to make this happen sooner than you may think.

The environmental effects caused by meat consumption (食用)—waste, animal treatment, health problems and even the greenhouse gas effects that are potentially caused by methane gas produced by cows—have given rise to a number of startups(新兴公司)looking to develop meats in different ways.

For example, San Francisco-based Memphis Meats is developing cell-based meats in its labs without requiring any animals. Israel’s Future Meat Technologies is doing the same by producing fat and muscle cells that are being tested by chefs in Jerusalem. All of these companies use special processes to harvest cells from animals and grow them in a lab.

But don’t worry if you’re not a meat lover. Startups such as Jet Eat, which is also based in Israel, are working on food products grown in labs that are plant-based and replicate (复制) meats using natural elements while still keeping flavor, consistency and the “overall sensory experience”, according to a report on NoCamels. Jet Eat, which was founded in early 2018, aims to 3D-print their lab-grown products by 2020.

As you can imagine, there are plenty of barriers facing the industry. Educating the public is a big one. Another controversial issue is the labeling of the products.   Recently both the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) announced that they will begin jointly controlling the new “cell-based meat” category.

Many of us have concerns about the challenges facing future generations as our global population increases and the earth’s natural resources decreases. The good news is that there are plenty of businessmen around the world—like those producing lab-grown meats—who are working to solve some of these problems and make a little money in the process. Nothing wrong with that.

Can you remember what you ate yesterday? If asked, most people will be able to give a vague description of their main meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. But can you be sure you’ve noted every snack bar in your car, or every handful of nuts at your desk? 【小题1】

We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades. Now, the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that people are considerably under-reporting what they ate by 50%.

【小题2】 We can point to at least three potential causes. One is the rise in obesity levels itself. Under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people, because they simply consume more food, and thus have more to remember.

Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to slim down has been increasing over time. 【小题3】 It may be driven partly by self-deception or “wishful thinking”.

【小题4】 Both are in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall energy intake. Again, there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly recorded categories in surveys.

So, what’s the message conveyed? If people do not know how much they are eating, it can be really hard for them to stick to a diet. 【小题5】 Therefore, we can ensure what people eat won’t have much impact on their waistlines. If this works, it won’t matter if they can’t remember what they ate yesterday.