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Airline Food: Background Noise Makes Food Taste Worse
Epoch Times ^ | Oct 16, 2010 | Jack Phillips

Posted on 10/17/2010 10:31:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Airline food is generally bland for most people but it may not just be about the quality of the food. Background noise levels may also affect perception of food's taste and crunchiness, according to a study at the University of Manchester published online in the Food Quality and Preference journal.

"There's a general opinion that aeroplane foods aren't fantastic," Andy Woods, a researcher from University of Manchester and Unilever's laboratories, told the BBC. "I'm sure airlines do their best—and given that, we wondered if there are other reasons why the food would not be so good. One thought was perhaps the background noise has some impact.”

The researchers blindfolded participants in the survey which incorporated 48 diners and found background noise—like the white noise in an airplane—can affect the way people experience taste and crunchiness of food.

The participants ate the foods either in silence or while listening to quiet or loud white noise via headphones.

While there were more noise, fewer participants could perceive sweetness and saltiness, the study reported. However, perception of crunchiness increased as background noise got louder.

"NASA gives their space explorers very strong-tasting foods, because for some reason they can't taste food that strongly—again, perhaps it's the background noise," Woods said.


TOPICS: Food; Travel; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: airlinefood; noise; travel

1 posted on 10/17/2010 10:31:33 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

They have food on airplane? I fly a lot and I can’t recall the last time I was served food. In 2002 I think AA served me a meal on a Miami to LAX flight. I flew Miami to SeaTac on Alaska last year and got nothing.


2 posted on 10/17/2010 10:36:07 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: USNBandit

Wow, that’s a long flight for them to give nothing.


3 posted on 10/17/2010 10:48:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
When buying a ticket, I've been told that if you tell the airline your jewish, you get better food, and it has to be kosher... I remember a plane ride I took back in the 50's and 2nd class also had good meals and with real silverware, (not silver) China dishese etc....the airlines added up the cost of the silverware, dishes and type of food they served and the fuel saved by eleminating that weight was huge... The flight was from Detroit to Friendship airport in Maryland and took 50 minutes...we got served breakfast. Plane leveled off, food came and they were already to go down at Friendship...

Flying use to be a treat.....

4 posted on 10/17/2010 10:50:59 PM PDT by goat granny
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To: nickcarraway

I wonder if that is the reason the Foil Packs the cooks delivered down to our Minuteman capsules tasted so bad?


5 posted on 10/17/2010 10:51:17 PM PDT by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: nickcarraway
"There's a general opinion that aeroplane foods aren't fantastic," ... "I'm sure airlines do their best"

You have got to be kidding! How much were these weasels paid by the UK Gov't to determine one well-known fact and one well-known fallacy?

6 posted on 10/17/2010 10:55:00 PM PDT by SFConservative
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To: nickcarraway
"NASA gives their space explorers very strong-tasting foods, because for some reason they can't taste food that strongly—again, perhaps it's the background noise," Woods said.

Astronauts don't eat during the brief noisy launch phase and their helmets and earphones block noise very effectively anyway. While in orbit or on a lunar trajectory there is very little noise. Woods is a moron.

7 posted on 10/17/2010 11:01:19 PM PDT by SFConservative
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To: USNBandit

Food? Yeah right. 4 peanut packs in a 2 hour flight in North America. But I’m not complaining. At least they’re giving you something. The Asian carriers when I head to Asia 3x a year, Singapore airlines for example, they provide better grub than what they pass as food on American flights. In the end when one is starving, the expected engine noise is the least of your problems.


8 posted on 10/17/2010 11:07:44 PM PDT by max americana (Hoax and Chains, Dopeychangey)
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To: goat granny

Still get that in business and first class. I flew first class from SEA to LAX about 12 days ago, and we got a pretty decent breakfast with real silverware.

Likewise on International flights, even US carriers. Business class, SLC to NRT (Tokyo) was pretty good food again, free alcohol (a beer with dinner, a whiskey and Coke before sleeping), and again - real silverware. The steak even had a real steak knife with a thick, serrated blade and wooden handle. This was on Delta!

I tell you, why worry about my puny little 2” pocket knife when I could just have my team book business class seats and get handed 5” serrated blades... And be well rested when it was time to use them, too!


9 posted on 10/17/2010 11:09:42 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the Sting of Truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: nickcarraway

I can’t recall the last time I was served food of any sort on an airplane. They haven’t even been giving out the little bags of pretzels (they stopped giving out peanuts in the 90s on orders from the Clinton administration).

I flew from San Antonio to Dulles (Washington, DC area) and back last month; I got a drink, and that was it.

Whatever the reasons for airplane food tasting bad might be, they’re moot at this point.


10 posted on 10/18/2010 12:17:44 AM PDT by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
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To: max americana

Singapore Airlines and Emirates provide great food during flights.


11 posted on 10/18/2010 12:21:11 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
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To: PugetSoundSoldier

Had an awesome meal in first on AA a few weeks ago (2 hour domestic flight)-steak tacos, and I mean top quality beef, three bean salad with spinach croutons, crunchy crackers, club soda.

Of course that’s the only time I’ve seen any food in about 12 years, they don’t even give out a bag of crackers anymore unless you are in first, it’s almost like they are sadistic


12 posted on 10/18/2010 12:36:51 AM PDT by Rome2000 (OBAMA IS A COMMUNIST CRYPTO-MUSLIM)
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To: nickcarraway

Things you NEVER hear:
“Stewardess...I must have this recipe!”
—Johnny Carson


13 posted on 10/18/2010 12:40:55 AM PDT by TruthHound ("He who does not punish evil commands it to be done." --Leonardo da Vinci)
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To: Rome2000

Yeah... I fly enough that I’m always treated nicely, even when back in the cheap seats (I only buy coach, get upgraded about 50% of the time). But even in the back, I still get better meals, free drinks, and extra pretzels. Alaska Air and Delta make sure and take care of their high-mileage fliers no matter where you are on the plane.


14 posted on 10/18/2010 1:26:27 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the Sting of Truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: James C. Bennett
I just completed my third r/t Manila to Frankfurt on Qatar Airways. Great food, service and on-board entertainment. And yes, they do serve alcohol.
15 posted on 10/18/2010 4:03:11 AM PDT by ut1992 (Army Brat)
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Food, what food! Yeah those peanuts they serve would taste better if it wasn’t so noisy.


16 posted on 10/18/2010 5:43:42 AM PDT by Howudoing
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To: nickcarraway

Airline food in the states could be better. When flying to and from Europe, the food is always much better on the return portion of the flight than on the outbound.


17 posted on 10/18/2010 6:37:14 AM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
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To: PugetSoundSoldier

You’re lucky.

I’m a Platinum on American and get great service when it comes to priority check in, boarding, and picking seats, but when it comes to food I might as well be a stowaway if I don’t upgrade to First.


18 posted on 10/18/2010 2:04:26 PM PDT by Rome2000 (OBAMA IS A COMMUNIST CRYPTO-MUSLIM)
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To: nickcarraway; Perdogg

Are they talking about the sound of puking from all the lousy food?


19 posted on 10/18/2010 4:36:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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