It’s not just the airline food

Everyone complains about airline food. Not without good reason. But it’s not just the food.

Yes, airline food does suffer the disadvantages which come from being cooked, then transported, stored, & reheated.

But there’s more to it than that. Compared to your typical restaurant, an aircraft cabin at 35,000 feet is at a lower pressure, lower humidity & noisier. All of these factors alter perception of flavours. Sensitivity of the tongue to salt & sweet is reduced, for instance. This does not merely make foods bland, because the ability of the tongue to sense sour & bitter is unaffected.

What we perceive as flavour is largely smell, & this too, is much reduced as the nasal passages dry out due to the low humidity. To overcome the tongue's reduced sensitivity, airlines may use additional salt, which compounds dehydration effects.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150112-why-in-flight-food-tastes-weird / taste buds above the clouds normal sense of taste Katia Moskvitch investigates airlines appetites food airline companies serve bland unappetising normal sense of taste cruise to a level thousands feet flavour pasta dish mouthful of wine taste buds sense of smell Russ Brown director In-flight Dining & Retail American Airlines flavour flavor combination perception saltiness sweetness drop pressurised cabin in-flight experience affects how your food tastes food and drink taste different air ground Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology Oxford University lack of humidity lower air pressure background noise dryness low pressure air plane airplane aeroplane atmosphere inside the cabin affects sense of smell first air pressure drops humidity levels cabin plummet 30,000 feet humidity less than 12% drier than most desert combination dryness low pressure reduces sensitivity your taste buds sweet salty foods 30% 2010 study Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics commissioned German airline Lufthansa researchers special lab reduced air pressure simulating cruising 35,000 feet 10.6km sucking moisture out of the air simulating engine noise made seats vibrate mimic in-flight meal experience sweet salty senses sour bitter hot burn spicy flavours unaffected taste buds taste smell evaporating nasal mucus smell parched cabin air odour receptors do not work properly makes food taste twice as bland airlines in-flight food an extra kick salting spicing much more restaurant on the ground proper seasoning is key ensure food tastes good in the air Brown American Airlines recipes modified additional salt seasoning cabin dining atmosphere Gerry McLoughlin executive chef US airline United in-flight meals taste more robust chefs constant loud humming jet engines flavour nose mouth psychologists ears study found that people eating to the sound of loud background noise rated food as being less salty and less sweet silence noise sound much crunchier plane’s loud background noise 85db tastes Spence seasonings cardamom lemon grass curry taste more intense salt sugar mass-produced recipes preparing serving tasty food above the clouds food safety standards cooked on the ground food packed blast-chilled refrigerated re-heating in the air modify the flavour served at sea level re-heat food on board safety reasons airlines convection ovens blow hot, dry air over the food microwaves open flames induction ovens airline chefs mass produce recipes Brown control design food ingredients packing long process food preparation delivery reheated reheat re-heated during flight fifth taste umami pleasantly savoury taste fat fatty sardines seaweed mushrooms tomatoes soy sauce taste enhanced loud background noise Spence /