It was a snack that had to withstand the test of space and time.

A made-in-Canada treat resistant to both extreme heat and cold, easy to consume while orbiting the Earth, with a long shelf life and, most important of all for the zero-gravity zone, crumb-free.

Over the past year, the Canadian Space Agency had been looking for space-friendly snacks to accompany astronaut Chris Hadfield on his next six-month mission to the International Space Station in December.

That’s when Markham-based company Shandiz Natural Foods got a request for samples of its Taste of Nature fruit and nut bars.

“We actually didn’t think we would be selected,” said Michael Lines, vice-president of sales and marketing.

The company sent the Canadian Space Agency four varieties of its fruit and nut bars that are “cold-pressed” so they don’t crumble or fall apart.

The sample bars were among a number of new foods put through a vigorous selection process, said the space agency. They were tested to ensure they met nutritional requirements and “spaceflight criteria.” They were also ranked on “taste and colour” and checked to make sure they didn’t have an offensive odour and could be prepared in orbit and consumed directly from the package.

Then all the astronauts involved in the mission, including Hadfield, tasted the bars. Shandiz’s Nova Scotia Blueberry Fields variety was chosen.

Hadfield will take two boxes to the space station, where he will become the first Canadian commander of the orbiting lab when he takes over the helm in March.

“We don’t really think about astronauts as our core target,” said Lines. “We are pretty excited that it meets that level of criteria because there are such strict nutritional guidelines.”

The family company, established in 1988, markets natural and organic snack bars in 35 countries. This is its first foray into outer space.

According to the Canadian Space Agency, most food on the International Space Station comes off a permanent menu developed to give astronauts a balanced diet. But last year, the agency launched a contest to give Canadians an opportunity to suggest snacks to add some healthy variety to Hadfield’s diet.

The fruit bars will likely have some stiff competition. Hadfield will also be able to savour candied wild smoked salmon, smoked salmon paté, cranberry buffalo jerky and maple syrup cookies.

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