How Airplane Background Noise Affects our In-Flight Taste Buds

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  10.15.10 | 2:42 PM ET

New research suggests that the white noise of airplane cabins could be contributing to the infamous blandness of in-flight meals. Here’s the Independent’s Steve Connor:

White noise consists of random collections of sounds at different frequencies - such as the muffled noise of aircraft engines - and scientists have demonstrated that it is capable of diminishing the taste of salt and sugar.

The findings could explain a phenomenon well known to airline companies: passengers tend to lose their sense of taste when they are in the air.

Interesting stuff—but I’m a little surprised to find researchers putting serious time into studying airplane food, considering the in-flight meal is nearly extinct.

Tags: Air Travel, Airplanes, Airworld, Food, News and Briefs

Eva Holland is the senior editor of World Hum. She is an associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and her writing has also appeared in Reader's Digest Canada, NationalGeographic.com, the National Post, the Montreal Gazette, the Ottawa Citizen and WestJet's Up! Magazine, among other publications. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


2 Comments for How Airplane Background Noise Affects our In-Flight Taste Buds

Marilyn Terrell 10.15.10 | 11:19 PM ET

So if I spend $299.95 on Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones my peanuts will taste better?

Caitlin @ Roaming Tales 10.19.10 | 11:36 PM ET

Extinct in what way? Extinct for US domestic flights doesn’t mean extinct. In-flight meals are still very much part of the long-haul travel experience.

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