Posted by Davin Flateau on 6 Mar 2006 at 5:19 pm.
Filed under General.
I’m not originally from Kansas. I grew up about a mile from the H.J. Heinz headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. Depending on the direction of the wind, the entire neighborhood would often be inundated with the smell of vinegar wafting from the plant which packaged pickles and ketchup. It sounds awful, but you get used to it, and after awhile, it had the effect of making you hungry!
So I have a good idea of what this might smell like in the enclosed space of the International Space Station orbiting 200 miles above us:
H.J.Heinz Company has announced that two of its single serve condiment varieties will travel to outer space this spring. Heinz Barbeque Sauce and Seafood Cocktail Sauce were chosen as “bonus food items” by the International Space Station’s Expedition 13 crew. These two bonus condiments join Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard and Mild Taco Sauce - all of which already fly as part of the standard U.S. condiment kit that goes to the space station.
By the way, this is just one of those little bits of life I’ve never thought about. I can honestly say that I’ve never imagined astronauts and cosmonauts squirting out tiny blobs of Mild Taco Sauce in microgravity.
The condiments, enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world, are now officially “out of this world,” Serafini said. “Consumers enjoy our sauces in almost every conceivable place to eat away from home. Space was one place we hadn’t considered in the past, but now we’ve extended our supply of great taste beyond any borders we imagined.”
Pittsburghers have an old saying: “Heinz is making pickles”, which was a polite, if weird, way to say that your feet smelled and that you should probably put your shoes back on. This new “bonus food item” will provide good cover as long as the astronauts’ feet smell like Seafood Cocktail Sauce.
