Abstract
Background: It is generally accepted that the human perception of flavor and odor is altered in low-pressure environments such as airplane cabins. This has been demonstrated in several simulation studies, but never in a field study conducted in an authentic environment, and never using wine as the object of study. Methods: We performed a comparative field study composed of two wine tastings. The first tasting was conducted on board an aircraft flying at standard cruising altitude and the second tasting was conducted at ground level. Subjective taste experience and current mood were evaluated through a validated questionnaire. The study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline. Results: The study included 22 participants, none of whom had any special training in wine tasting. No statistically significant difference in experienced flavor intensity was found between the high and low altitude tests, with median aromatic intensities of 5 (interquartile range 3.5-6.0) and 5 (interquartile range 4.0-6.5) respectively, measured on a 9-point hedonic scale. Additionally, there was no detectable difference in several other taste parameters. Conclusions: These findings suggest that even though experimental studies have demonstrated that senses of taste and smell may be suppressed on commercial flights, the subjective wine tasting experience of non-professionals in real life testing may not be affected.
Highlights
Modern air travel is a multi-billion-dollar industry and more than four billion passengers flew on commercial airlines in 2017, which generated an industry-wide revenue of 755 billion USD1
We hypothesized that the subjective perception of flavor intensity of wine is reduced while on board a commercial aircraft flying at standard cruising altitude compared with on the ground. We speculated that this would lead to a decreased overall liking and appreciation of wine, likely resulting in a worse consumer experience. To test these pre-specified hypotheses, we performed a comparative field study of high and low altitude wine tastings, and we aimed to verify the discrepancy in taste sensation, as suggested by simulation studies
There was no statistically significant change in participant mood evaluated through the adapted Profile of Mood States for Adolescents (POMS-A) questionnaire
Summary
Modern air travel is a multi-billion-dollar industry and more than four billion passengers flew on commercial airlines in 2017, which generated an industry-wide revenue of 755 billion USD1. Simulation studies have suggested that our sense of taste and smell is generally reduced in low-pressure environments such as airplane cabins, diminishing the perception of flavor intensity of food products[7,8,9,10]. This is thought to be caused by elevated sensory thresholds for detection of tastants in low-pressure environments[5]. It is generally accepted that the human perception of flavor and odor is altered in low-pressure environments such as airplane cabins This has been demonstrated in several simulation studies, but never in a field study conducted in an authentic environment, and never using wine as the object of study. Conclusions: These findings suggest that even though experimental studies have demonstrated that senses of taste and smell may be suppressed on commercial flights, the subjective wine tasting experience of non-professionals in real life testing may not be affected
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