The 20th century saw the rise of major food corporations that gifted us with some truly iconic and lasting food creations. Mention Twinkies, TV dinners, or Cheerios, and you’ll likely be met with nods of instant recognition. The shelves of our stores are filled with these enduring treats, from M&Ms and Snickers to the breakfast aisle staples like Fruit Loops and Pop-Tarts.
However, alongside these evergreens, there’s a category of food products that were launched with considerable hype but quickly faded, becoming relics of the past, remembered only by trivia enthusiasts or those who, like myself, lived through the era of their television commercials and were adventurous enough to try these novelties promising to revolutionize our lives. Among these forgotten food items, Space Food Sticks hold a special place.
Space Food Sticks are a particular favorite of mine from this category of fleeting food fads. Or perhaps “were” is more accurate, as they’ve been absent from store shelves for a considerable time. In the 1960s, the American space program was the epitome of innovation and excitement, especially for children. In 1968, if you asked any group of eight-year-olds what they aspired to be, “astronaut” would undoubtedly be a top answer. We genuinely believed space travel would be commonplace within a couple of decades and were fascinated by every aspect of it.
One captivating topic was what astronauts ate and drank in space. While Tang, the powdered orange drink that surely worried Florida’s orange growers, is a story for another day, today we’re focusing on solid food, specifically Space Food Sticks. Pillsbury collaborated with NASA to develop a solid food form suitable for astronauts in space. This food needed to be crumb-free, shaped for consumption through space helmets, and reasonably nutritious. Of course, astronauts on Earth could eat anything, but in space, conditions were different.
Just watching the Space Food Sticks commercials, it was clear they weren’t just selling food; they were selling the allure of space itself. And selling space was synonymous with selling “cool.” Every kid in my fifth-grade class would have agreed: Space Food Sticks were undeniably cool.
NASA and Pillsbury’s collaboration on this project was quite significant. Beyond the usual food product criteria, germ-free integrity was paramount. There were genuine concerns about the potential hazards of bacteria in a confined space capsule, not to mention the unpleasant scenario of an astronaut becoming ill inside a space helmet.
During this period, Pillsbury secured a contract in 1966 to create a “rod-shaped contingency food” for astronauts who might need to remain sealed in their pressure suits. Howard Bauman, a food safety scientist at Pillsbury, recognized that traditional quality control methods, which addressed issues after they occurred, wouldn’t suffice for the stringent requirements. Bauman pioneered the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to ensure contamination-free production from the outset. This system is now a standard across the food industry. So, Space Food Sticks weren’t just a novelty snack; they played a part in food safety history.
The result was a reasonably nutritious snack, Space Food Sticks, designed for astronauts too busy for a full vacuum-sealed meal. Given Pillsbury’s business in public food products, it was a natural step to market this product to space-enthusiastic Americans. After all – it was space food!
Pillsbury likely envisioned substantial profits when they launched Space Food Sticks commercially in 1969. The name itself was perfect – not a generic “SuperNutriSnackoBar,” but the straightforward, descriptive name that sounded like something astronauts themselves would use. “Space Food Sticks” evoked authenticity and the space age.
As a pre-teen at the time, I was naturally eager to try them. I remember they weren’t cheap, and I was thrilled when my mother agreed to buy a box of the chocolate flavor. Each stick was individually wrapped in a foil-lined paper and had a texture similar to a soft Tootsie Roll.
While not particularly delicious, their appeal wasn’t about gourmet taste. You were eating what astronauts ate! Space Food Sticks actually predated the energy bars popular today, but in 1969, they were marketed as a high-tech alternative to potato chips and candy bars, even if the term “high-tech” wasn’t common vernacular then.
However, the “high-tech” image apparently didn’t sustain sales as expected. The packaging soon shifted to a more conventional “consumer product” design, moving away from the “awesome product from space” aesthetic. The marketing strategy seemed to shift towards selling the food itself, rather than the space connection. “Sell the food, not the science” might have been the new motto. But perhaps the food itself was never the primary attraction. This approach might have worked for everyday items like refrigerated Crescent Rolls, but not for Space Food Sticks.
The space association, it turned out, wasn’t enough to maintain the sales volume needed for profitability, especially as public fascination with the space program waned. Pillsbury removed “Space” from the name in 1971, citing negative connotations with space food, and rebranded them as simply “Food Sticks.” This was a peculiar choice. “Food Sticks” sounded like a generic product, lacking the exciting, futuristic appeal. It was as if they were aiming for the blandness of generic store brands. Perhaps it was an attempt to distance themselves from the space race imagery.
Sadly, “Food Sticks” didn’t capture consumer interest as hoped, and the product was discontinued in the mid-1980s. Did anyone really miss them? I personally didn’t notice their disappearance, probably because my mother only bought a few boxes initially, likely none after the name change in 1971. I didn’t even recall the name change until recently.
There was an attempt to revive Space Food Sticks a few years ago, targeting air and space museums. However, this revival was no more successful than the original product in its later years, and they were discontinued again. Interestingly, a more recent, albeit unofficial, development is the emergence of cannabis-infused versions in certain regions. This information is purely from internet sources, as I haven’t encountered these personally. Perhaps this is the “space” they were missing all along! Though, it’s hard to imagine how that would meet NASA’s original specifications. It seems there are many interpretations of “space food” these days.
Reflecting on Space Food Sticks, it’s hard to think of another food product that so strongly embodies the 1970s. Remembering Space Food Sticks is like encapsulating an entire era.
Further Reading:
- More information from General Mills: https://blog.generalmills.com/2019/07/space-food-sticks-went-to-the-moon-too/
- A retrospective on Space Food Sticks: https://www.fastcompany.com/90371561/pillsbury-space-food-sticks-sweet-slim-jims-space
(Images: Original packaging and advertising materials for Space Food Sticks from the sources above and various online sources.)
