One Reason Airline Food Is So Bad

One reason airplane food is so unremarkable is that at 30 thousand feet, most edibles are. At that altitude, people lose about 30 percent of their taste bud power, mostly in the profile areas of salty and sweet.



The food airlines serve to the masses has a reputation for registering somewhere between inedible and unidentifiable, but the typically underwhelming experience may not be entirely their fault.

One reason airplane food is so unremarkable is that at 30 thousand feet, most edibles are.

At that altitude, people lose about 30 percent of their taste bud power, mostly in the profile areas of salty and sweet.

That deficit then gets compounded by the impact which flying has on the sense of smell, a very large component of the taste experience.

As vapors travel up our noses, their aromas meld with what our buds are registering, creating a layered and more complex flavor profile.

Cabin pressure causes swelling in the mucus membranes, making it harder for those taste-boosting smells to make the journey.

Cabin pressure is also the thing that causes total body dehydration. That dehydration includes the olfactory mechanisms, which diminishes their ability to work like they do on land.

Even though they've been able to identify the in-flight culprits that keep people from being able to enjoy eating, experts aren't quite sure what to do about them.