How NASA Testing Changed US Food Inspection Forever The humble beginnings of America's food safety revolution can be found in the unlikely place of the space program.
In the early 1960s, NASA was sending astronauts into orbit for extended periods, and with that came a host of new challenges – including how to feed them safely.
As Paul Lachance, NASA's lead food scientist at the time, recalled, "Food poisoning on Earth is terrible. In a spacesuit or space capsule, it could be catastrophic.