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Background Noise Affects Taste of Foods

Posted by samzenpus on from the that-sounds-delicious dept.

gollum123 writes "The level of background noise affects both the intensity of flavour and the perceived crunchiness of foods, researchers have found. Blindfolded diners assessed the sweetness, saltiness, and crunchiness, as well as overall flavour, of foods as they were played white noise. While louder noise reduced the reported sweetness or saltiness, it increased the measure of crunch. It may go some way to explaining why airline food is notoriously bland — a phenomenon that drives airline catering companies to season their foods heavily. In a comparatively small study, 48 participants were fed sweet foods such as biscuits or salty ones such as crisps, while listening to silence or noise through headphones. Also in the group's findings there is the suggestion that the overall satisfaction with the food aligned with the degree to which diners liked what they were hearing — a finding the researchers are pursuing in further experiments."

12 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Beer? by uzd4ce · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if there are similar effects to adult beverage enjoyment. I always enjoy my homebrew as well as local and national Craft beers, but this article makes me wonder if there are certain flavor profiles or characteristics I prefer based on my environment or the noise level related to it. When I think about it, I tend to prefer darker, deeper, more complex beers, maybe with a stronger emphasis on the malt character in a quieter setting, but then prefer a crisper, hoppier bite from, say, a classic pilsner or pale ale or IPA even in louder, more enthusiastic environments. Definitely something I'll be paying attention to in the future....

    1. Re:Beer? by mim · · Score: 2, Funny

      oh, totally...like cheap box wine tastes better while listening to NPR...

  2. Synesthesia by lobiusmoop · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This sounds like a specific case of Synesthesia, with sound and taste interacting, rather than the more often cited case of sound and colour perception.

    --
    "I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
    1. Re:Synesthesia by immakiku · · Score: 2, Informative

      Synesthesia is a fairly well understood defect in the brain. It seems they took a normal sample of people. It's only synesthesia if only a small population of people have it. If everyone is supposed to have it, it wouldn't be a defect.

    2. Re:Synesthesia by by+(1706743) · · Score: 3, Funny

      Synesthesia is a fairly well understood defect in the brain.

      Yeah, well at least my posts aren't hot pink.

  3. Re:Bland wedding food. by Firethorn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'd argue for just having a couple bland items on the table for the wussies/people with stomach conditions, give us GOOD tasting food.

    On the other hand, this makes me wonder if crowded noisy lunch halls encourage bad eating choices - going for even sweeter/saltier food items due to this effect?

    --
    I don't read AC A human right
  4. Airline food is bland because... by syousef · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Airline food is bland because it is pre-packaged long life shit and instant tv dinners produced in a tiny galley on a budget. Blaming the background noise is ridiculous. It's a "dog ate my homework" excuse.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    1. Re:Airline food is bland because... by kevinNCSU · · Score: 3, Informative

      Most of the airlines I've flown on recently, if they serve you an actual meal, has been sandwiches wrapped in saran wrap containing meat and lettuce and tomatoes all of which would spoil rather quickly, certainly not what I would classify long life shit. They are usually loaded on to that plane at the terminal by a catering truck during boarding. Not extremely excellent food, but not terrible instant tv dinner type stuff that seems like it might be months/years old either.

    2. Re:Airline food is bland because... by Red+Flayer · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You ever stash some airline food and eat it in a different setting? It tastes very different. Not good per se, but definitely not bland.

      Did this with some breakfast sandwich that my wife didn't like... I ate mine (room-temperature, as they served it before I was really awake on a 10-hour international red-eye), and saved hers for after we landed 2 hours later.

      I even remarked to her that hers tasted different than mine... this could be a possible explanation.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  5. No control group? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Did they also do the experiment with people who weren't wearing blindfolds???

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
  6. a study brought to you by kubitus · · Score: 2, Funny
    by the potato chips industry

    enjoy our crispy couch potato potato chips

    turn down the TV so that you can hear our chips!

    -

    Silicon chips are crispier

  7. This proves what I've long suspected... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...that people who listen to loud rock, rap, and hiphop have absolutely no taste.