Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams and his STS-118 crew members have been enjoying some Canadian foods including [i]Canasnacks[/i].

Canasnacks, bite-sized cookies with maple, cranberry or blueberry cream filling, are the first Canadian food developed by [URL=http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2007&page=n70817]Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada[/URL] (AAFC) specifically for astronauts.

The Canasnacks were designed to meet the specific requirements of spaceflight: [list][*]Low amount of crumbs: in the microgravity environment, uncontained crumbs and dry foods such as powders can contaminate the environment. The Canasnacks are bite-sized to decrease the production of crumbs.
[*]Shelf-stable: there are no refrigeration or freezer capabilities for food on orbit so the food must have a shelf life that will last for at least the duration of the mission. Canasnacks are vacuum packed to ensure a long shelf life.[/list] Each package of Canasnacks contains five different flavors: [list][*]Oatmeal biscuit with cranberry cream filling
[*]Oatmeal biscuit with maple cream filling
[*]Oatmeal and honey biscuit with blueberry cream filling
[*]Oatmeal biscuit (sweet and salty) with blueberry cream filling
[*]Oatmeal biscuit with blueberry cream filling (cream has higher acidity)[/list] According to AAFC, Canasnacks were developed using ingredients that are representative of Canada: [list][*]Maple sugar: Canada is the world leader in the production of maple products
[*]Cranberries: one of the native fruits of Canada
[*]Blueberries: one of the native fruits of Canada
[*]Canola oil: a product of canola. Canola was developed in Canada and is now widely used around the world.
[*]Oats: Canada is the world leader in the development of new varieties of oats.
[*]Lactulose: the only producer of lactulose (prebiotic) in North America is located in Quebec.[/list] Each Canasnacks package bears a maple leaf logo.