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13 Oddly Compelling Facts About The Food You're Served On Airplanes
Science Has Proven That Food Tastes Worse In Airplanes
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- Roshan Vyas
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Airplane food is known for being unappetizing, though that's not necessarily the fault of the cooks. It turns out that the human body has some interesting reactions to being stuck in a pressurized tube thousands of feet above the ground.
Studies have shown that low pressure can dull the tastes buds, especially when it comes to sweet and salty foods. Airplanes also keep humidity levels low, and their engines are loud - both factors that dampen one’s ability to taste. These combination of factors mean that a person's taste buds are roughly 30% less sensitive in airplanes. Some airlines try to circumvent this issue by drastically increasing the levels of salt and sugar in their meals, but chances are, that burger just isn't going to taste the same.
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All The Food Is Made On The Ground
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- Luke Lai
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Due to strict safety laws, every meal served on an airplane must be cooked on the ground. That means that your food is cooked, packaged, frozen, and reheated before it ever arrives at your seat. This extensive process doesn’t make the food taste any better, but it’s necessary; open flames are a safety hazard on an airplane.
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Food Used To Be Cooked On Planes
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- Sarah_Ackerman
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Before the strict regulations regarding air safety were implemented, flying was a vastly different experience. Not only could you smoke during the flight, but all the food served was cooked on the plane itself. During 1950s and ‘60s air travel, many airlines had cooks on board to prepare meals.
Pan American commonly served food cooked in the air, but that service has been grounded for good - along with Pan Am itself.
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There Are No Microwaves Onboard
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- powerplantop
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While airplane food often looks and tastes like a microwaveable meal for one, you won’t actually find a microwave on any of your flights. That’s because both microwaves and conventional ovens are prohibited on planes for safety reasons. Dry-air convection ovens are the most common tool used to reheat your food on an airplane, but they aren't perfect - they tend to dry out meals.
Culinary scientists are working on ways to ensure food stays tasty after being reheated. New types of ovens are used on certain flights, and many airlines have begun steaming food to keep moisture in dishes.
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Some Airlines Offer Sushi And Steak
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- BrownGuacamole
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Airline food has a bad rep in the United States, but gourmet dining in the sky isn't unheard of on international flights. Lobster thermidor, fresh sushi, and thick cuts of steak are served on flights from countries like Turkey and Japan. Aegean Airlines, based out of Greece, is known for serving local cuisine on trips to and from their many popular islands.
You can even call the airline ahead of time and put in a special request, so that you have a custom meal waiting for you on the plane.
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Tons Of In-Flight Meals Go To Waste
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- Paul Brady
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In 2016, about 5.2 million tons of trash were generated by airlines around the world. In-flight meals make up a sizable portion of that waste, which is either incinerated or dumped in landfills. United Airlines has started donating unused blankets and pillows to homeless shelters, but uneaten meals are a different story. Due to strict international agriculture regulations, it's nearly impossible to donate airplane food to charity.
A few airlines are working on techniques that could make air travel more green, including recycling more waste on planes, but the food issue remains unresolved.
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There's A Black Market For In-Flight Meals
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- JustChay
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There is a black market for everything, and in-flight meals are no exception. In markets all across India, you can find airplane food at very reasonable prices. Some of the contraband is sold by airline employees sneaky enough to get it off the plane. People will even raid the dumpsters around airports to scour for unused food and drinks to sell.
Stolen bottles of Tropicana can be bought for as little as 32 cents.
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Lufthansa Tests Their Meals In Hyperbaric Chambers
In the German city of Munich, there is an advanced hyperbaric chamber designed for one purpose: to taste-test the meals served on Lufthansa flights. That may seem over-the-top, but it’s actually the best way to simulate the pressurized environments on airplanes.
The airline uses this technology to account for the variations in taste between the ground and the sky, so that they can engineer the tastiest meals possible. This ingenious solution hasn't caught on with other airlines, but it is remarkably effective.
Scandinavian Airlines Serves Ancient Sake
Scandinavian Airlines seems determined to offer a positive in-flight dining experience. The staff wanted to offer sake on flights to Japan, and tracked down the recipe for the first sake produced in Europe.
That rare beverage is paired with fusion dishes from local producers to create unique airplane meals.
There Are Severe Consequences For Employees Who Steal Leftovers
It might seem natural for flight attendants to snag an uneaten meal or two to take home. However, most airlines in North America, Europe, and Australia go to extreme lengths to make sure their employees don’t sneak leftovers off of the airplane. Many airlines will fire staff members caught taking food home, and ground-workers who get caught with items like mini bottles of alcohol can be legally charged with smuggling.
These rules, while strict, are meant to minimize the chance of foreign materials entering a country via air travel.
A Bad In-Flight Meal Gave Passengers Cholera
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- Kuruman
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Some passengers have experienced more than just a bland meal on a flight. In one case, cholera felled multiple passengers on Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 386 in 1992. Officials believed that tainted shrimp served by the airline was responsible.
At least five people were sickened by the food, and one woman died.
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There's An Airline Food Critic
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- Kuruman
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While there may not be a Yelp for in-flight meals, at least one man has taken on the responsibility of reviewing every airline menu that he comes across. Nik Loukas began his quest to document his in-flight meals in 2012, and his rounds up the dozens of meals he's had over the years.
Loukas's love of airline food led him to a career in catering logistics for major airlines, where he gets to indulge in his oddly specific passion.
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