London - If your inflight meal tastes terrible, don’t blame the caterer – it could actually be because the plane’s engines are too loud.
Scientists have found that noise affects our palate, suppressing sweetness and emphasising the umami – or savoury – taste.
The other three basic tastes – sour, bitter and salty – are less affected.
The Japanese word umami describes the combined sweet and savoury taste of foods such as tomato juice and cheese.
The study found that in noisy situations such as the 85 decibels aboard a plane, umami-rich foods taste best and sweet tastes were dulled.
The study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, could lead to better airline food.
Professor Robin Dando, of Cornell University in New York state, said: “If you’re planning to fly, drink some tomato juice. In an environment of loud noise, our sense of taste is compromised.
“The multi-sensory properties of the environment where we consume our food can alter our perception of the foods we eat.
“This was specific to sweet and umami tastes, with sweet taste inhibited and umami taste significantly enhanced.
“Taste perception depends not only on sensory inputs associated with the food or drink itself, but on the attributes of the environment in which the food is consumed.”
The airline Lufthansa had already noticed that passengers drank as much tomato juice as beer, and concluded that cabin pressure enhanced the taste of the juice.
Daily Mail