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 bestand 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 noiselike the white noise in an airplanecan 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 stronglyagain, perhaps it's the background noise," Woods said.
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.
Wow, that’s a long flight for them to give nothing.
Flying use to be a treat.....
I wonder if that is the reason the Foil Packs the cooks delivered down to our Minuteman capsules tasted so bad?
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
Singapore Airlines and Emirates provide great food during flights.
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
Things you NEVER hear:
“Stewardess...I must have this recipe!”
Johnny Carson
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.
Food, what food! Yeah those peanuts they serve would taste better if it wasn’t so noisy.
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.
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.
Are they talking about the sound of puking from all the lousy food?
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