World Taste & Smell Association Announces Collaboration with the Deep Space Food Consortium
The World Taste & Smell Association (WTSA), through its Space Sensory Lab, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Deep Space Food Consortium, fiscally sponsored by the Methuselah Foundation.
The organizations will explore joint research, public education, funding opportunities, and expert engagement to advance food systems for space exploration and life on Earth. WTSA’s Space Sensory Lab will contribute sensory science and human-factors expertise as advisors, mentors, subject-matter experts, and judges for the Mars to Table Challenge, developed in collaboration with NASA.
The collaboration will also examine how space-driven innovation can strengthen food resilience on Earth, from humanitarian response and disaster relief to agriculture, consumer products, culinary arts, and hospitality.
“Space has always been a catalyst for innovation on Earth,” said Mindy Yang, Co-Founder and CEO of the World Taste & Smell Association. “We believe the future of food is inherently multipurpose. By bringing together sensory science, engineering, medicine, culinary arts, agriculture, and human-centered design, we can accelerate discoveries that benefit astronauts and people here on Earth. We are excited to help build a more collaborative scientific ecosystem—one where understanding how humans perceive food drives healthier, more resilient, and more meaningful food systems for all.”
Together, WTSA and the Deep Space Food Consortium aim to advance food innovation that is technically rigorous, deeply human-centered, and capable of improving life both in space and on Earth.
