There is no doubt that one of the stars of the recent International Space Station (ISS) missions has been the French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, whose interesting and amusing reports have captivated audiences throughout the world. But when he returned to earth this Summer, he was quick to salute the role that the aluminium cans, produced by Ardagh Group for Hénaff, a Breton based pate manufacturer, played to improve his time in space.
“This is certainly one of our more unusual applications, but it really does show how some of the inherent advantages of the aluminium can – its light weight, ease of opening, preservation of taste without preservatives, compactness for storage without refrigeration – is so conducive to catering in space”, explains Laurent Cordier, Sales Director Food at Ardagh Group’s metal division.
The gourmet space cargo, devised by renowned chef Thierry Marx, included Lucullus beef tongue, a supreme Poultry with morels and a pressed gingerbread with exotic fruits. This mouth-watering fare, perfectly prepared, conditioned and preserved in cans by the team at Hénaff, brought considerable pleasure to Thomas and his five ISS colleagues.
