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Space travellers should be able to consume wine in capsule form during their time in space in the future. A project to this end was presented at a symposium organised by the Italian Space Agency on the topic of "Dining in space: production and preservation of food". According to the researchers, the wine should contribute to the well-being of astronauts as a "pleasant and familiar food".
The liquid wine is enclosed in capsules made from a composite of biopolymers with carbohydrates and proteins. These do not affect the flavour and guarantee a long shelf life. In several tests of different types of wine, a botrytised Orvieto in a quantity of three millilitres emerged as the most suitable. For red wine, the quantity would have to be five millilitres to offer the same intensity of flavour. According to study leader Elena Luciani from the Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, the system preserves the bioactive molecules of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that are present in botrytised wine. The low alcohol content of twelve per cent also speaks in favour of this type of wine. The wine capsules could also be of interest to space tourists looking for a wine experience while orbiting the earth.
(al / Source: Gambero Rosso)