Airplane Food: The Reason Why It Tastes Different

We all have had friends or heard people complain about airline food being bland and tasteless.

But who can blame them!

Meals served on airplanes are hardly gourmet, especially for people who fly economy class on international or long-distance flights.

If you feel the food that airlines serve is unappetising, you’d be surprised to know that it’s not really their fault and there are some logical reasons to back this.

But before we get into the real reasons why airplane food tastes different, let us look at how food was served on airplanes and how it changed.

The Evolution Of Airplane Food

In the early days of flying, airplanes took a long time to reach their destination, especially if it was an international flight.

Passengers didn’t have an inflight television to keep them occupied so they had no choice but to either read, sleep or eat. To entertain passengers, airlines started to copy the services on other modes of transportation such as trains/boats and turned their attention to food.

They started serving multi course fancy food like carved roast beef, lobster and prime rib which was accompanied by wine or expensive liquor in real glassware. This became a huge success and airlines started competing with each other, trying to offer special dining experiences to passengers.

As technology advanced, flying got cheaper and airlines had more people to serve. This is why in 1952 the economy class was created and with it came a decline in the quality of the food for the masses.

Once air travel’s popularity increased, the International Air Transport Association(IATA) started regulating airplane food and things became much tougher for the airlines.

Reasons Why Airplane Food Tastes Different

1.Dry Air

To maintain the pressure inside the cabin, airlines have to closely regulate the cabin air.

The air inside the airplane is almost 15 % drier than the air that we breath on the ground. This can affect your sense of smell and taste.

In fact, these senses start to deteriorate the moment you step on an airplane and it becomes worse when the airplane takes-off. The pressurized air makes passengers more dehydrated and dry-mouthed.

That is why wine tastes more acidic on an airplane.

2.Pressurized Cabin

Although the cabin is pressurized to mimic the air pressure you would feel on the ground, it’s still less than what you would experience at sea level.

Due to this our nose swells up and the body fluids start flowing upwards. This swelling messes with our sense of smell, making the food unappetising. You might be able to relate to this sensation since we’ve all had a cold at some point.

Another reason that researchers have discovered is that lower temperature and air pressure make it harder to detect odorants, which are molecules that stimulate the nose’s sensory cells.

Since it’s harder to smell in an airplane , it’s difficult to taste food onboard.

3.Airplane Noise

In case you didn’t know, airplane noises include vibrations from the air striking the hull, as well as the roaring of the engines and winds.

These collectively produce a constant sound that can be as loud as 85 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise produced by city traffic.

We know it sounds wired but, noise levels do affect your sense of taste. According to researchers, loud noises inhibit our ability to taste sweet flavours.

4.Airplane Food Is Re-Heated

Airplanes cruise at 30000 feet, however, its cabin pressure is equal to the air pressure at 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level, making it difficult to prepare fresh meals onboard.

That is why prior to take-off, airlines freeze pre-cooked meals on the ground and thaw them out in air.

Reheating the food in less than ideal conditions affects the taste of food on an airplane.

5.Method Of Cooking

Preparing and serving tasty food for a few hundred people above the clouds is not an easy task.

Due to food safety standards, all meals must be cooked on the ground. Such requirements for mass production definitely ties down the chef’s hands.

The food is made with ingredients which are long lasting and preservatives are added before it is packed, blast-chilled and stored in the refrigerator.

In a bid to preserve food, the chefs have to compromise on the quality of the food.

6.Food Budget

It is not the caterer, but the airline who decides what food is to be served.

Caterers have to use the products which are decided by the airlines and in a bid to reduce costs, airlines have started suggesting cheaper alternative food ingredients.

In 1987 American Airlines saved up to $40000 by removing one Olive from each passengers salad plate. This is the best example of how airlines can reduce costs by keeping food budgets in check.

Can Airlines Make Airplane Food Taste Better?

Once researchers discovered the science behind bland airplane food, airlines started investing in making the food taste better.

In 2010 Lufthansa asked Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, to conduct a research on how airplane noise levels affect the taste of the food.

They found that loud noise does suppress the sensation of sweetness, however it enhances the flavour of Umami, the savoury taste other than sweet, sour, salt and bitter.

Lufthansa began experimenting with the way it seasoned food and started to use naturally intense flavours, such as orange/tomato oils and tomato concentrate, to enhance the food served.

Following Lufthansa’s example, many airlines started to develop meals with a more scientific approach and have become better at it.

In fact, Qatar Airways hires Michelin-Starred Chefs who create flavours keeping in mind that a passenger’s taste buds are numbed at 30000 feet in the air.

Read more about the “Top 10 Airlines That Serve The Best In-Flight Meals”

*Want to Grab A Bite Before Your Flight? Simply download the AirWhizz App and get information about airport eateries & lounges along with real-time updates for your flight on the move. Fly Stress-Free!