Serving refreshments on-board an aeroplane is common, more so in long distance flights. When dining on-board, passengers consistently report that the food is not very appetising. Is this due to the airlines’ consideration of their budget or are there other reasons? It could be intriguing to observe how certain environmental physical characteristics influence our perception of taste. Russ Brown, American Airlines’ head of in-flight meals and retail, claims that we experience actual flavour when our taste buds operate at full capacity. Our taste buds will be 30% less sensitive to sweet and salty foods, when the air is dry and low in pressure. Oxford University Experimental Psychology Professor Charles Spence noted that food and beverages taste different in the air than they do on the ground. This is due to a number of factors. Among these, ambient noise, air pressure, and humidity are all important.
The flight attendants begin serving meals to the passengers once the aircraft takes off and reaches its cruising altitude, which is typically around 30,000 feet above the ground. It is important to note that when the plane ascends, its cabin’s humidity and pressure fluctuate, which may have an impact on our perception of taste.
German airline Lufthansa conducted a study. It was found that when you are above 35,000 feet, the sensitivity of your taste buds towards sweet and salty foods reduces by about 30%. At 30,000 feet, the humidity in the cabin drastically decreases to 20% or less, making the air extremely dry. Our ability to detect scent is diminished in dry conditions, which influences our perception of food flavour. Our taste buds’ sensitivity will also be impacted by decreased air pressure. Our sense of food’s sweetness and saltiness consequently decreases. All of these contribute to the bland flavour of meals in an aeroplane’s cabin. In reaction, in-flight meal caterers would naturally try to enhance the flavour of their food supplied in midair.