Tomato juice irresistibly good at 32,000 feet, experts confirm

Mar 8, 2010, 4:51 GMT

Hamburg - Only moderately popular at sea level, tomato juice is almost irresistibly delicious at an altitude of 32,000 feet, German researchers have confirmed.

Their tests confirm anecdotal evidence from airline cabin crews and caterers. Flight attendants have always known that Bloody Mary cocktails or just tomato juice on the rocks are among the most frequently requested beverages on long-haul flights. Airlines have learned to stock up on tomato juice before taking off for overseas flights.

The new study by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) Holzkirchen involved 100 test subjects who sat in a low-pressure simulation of a plane at transoceanic cruising altitude. Inside the simulator, test subjects were breathing at an atmospheric pressure equivalent to about 8,000 feet of altitude - the same cabin pressure as aboard a Jumbo Jet in mid-flight.

The simulator, a 16-metre-long mock-up of an Airbus A310-200, gave test subjects the same physical air pressure sensations they would experience in a real aircraft in the air. Cabin air pressure, humidity, temperature, fuselage temperature, lighting and sound levels were recreated in lifelike detail.

Test subjects were told they could order any beverages and meal selections they wished. Tomato juice was the overwhelming favourite, despite the fact that tomato juice is not especially popular in Germany, where apple juice and orange juice are traditional favourites.

The researchers at Fraunhofer IBP came to the startling conclusion that reduced cabin air pressure enhanced human taste receptors for salt, sugar and tomato flavours, which are scarcely noticeable on the ground.

The study, commissioned by German Lufthansa Airline, showed that passenger preferences were constant during repeated testing under the same conditions. Tomato juice simply was more appealing and tasted better under in-flight cabin air-pressure conditions, according to a statement from the institute.

Comparative tests of persons who were not subjected to reduced- pressure conditions showed that tomato juice was not as desirable.

The findings also showed that certain meals taste better under reduced-pressure conditions. Asian dishes were tastier to the test subjects than were the standard 'chicken or fish' airline meals. The scientists determined that chicken and fish dishes tasted bland under cabin conditions. They recommended those dishes be cooked with more herbs and spices.

Acidic and bitter tastes were unaffected by cabin pressure, although passengers noted that the low-pressure environment caused sour smells to be a bit more dominant.

The findings will aid Lufthansa's catering subsidiary, Sky Chefs, in selecting beverages and meals which appeal to the enhanced taste buds of passengers at cruising altitude.