WASHINGTON: Airline food generally tastes poor, according to most air travelers, and there could be reason for it, a new study reveals — the noise from the airplane and recirculated air. Surprisingly, tomato juice — like that found in bloody Marys, seems to improve the taste of in-flight meals.
Noisy conditions can result in taste buds being altered, a new study found. While umami — the savory flavor of broths and meats — is enhanced, sweet flavors are reduced. Researchers found that when noise levels reach about 85 decibels, people can start craving tomato juice and other savory flavors.
This effect is caused by changes in the signals passing between the tongue and brain, along a nerve that passes through the middle ear, making contact with the eardrum.
“Nerves are very sensitive, so this led me to wonder whether the signal was in some way affected when under conditions of loud noise. A pretty interesting example of this is an airplane cabin, interesting as people always complain about the quality of the food on airlines,” Robin Dando from the Department of Food Science at Cornell University said.
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