U.S. food headed for ISS stalled in Russian customs

MOSCOW, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A large shipment of American-manufactured food items is currently stalled in Russian customs. The goods were ordered by Russia's space program and are scheduled to be delivered to the International Space Station.

While the holdup in customs has delayed the delivery of the food supply, officials with both the Russian space agency and NASA say crew members aboard ISS will be unaffected.

"It is true that the cargo of U.S. foods, to be sent to the ISS, has not been through the customs yet," Irina Romanova, a spokesperson for the Russian rocket maker Energia, told ITAR-Tass. "But this will create no problems for the crew. Firstly, the food reserve available on the ISS is large enough. Secondly, we are certain that the issue will be settled in the routine mode in the near future."

Earlier media reports suggested the stalled food is meant for U.S. astronauts, but the director of NASA's manned space flights program in Russia, Sean Fuller, confirmed that is not the case.

"Our Russian colleagues like to have American food for a change once in a while," Fuller told Tass.

The Americans currently aboard the space station were forced to share quarters and food supplies with the Russian cosmonauts for several hours after a false ammonia leak alarm forced the astronauts to seal off their module and take shelter with their neighbors.