It’s common to hear that food tastes different – and often worse – during plane flights. This occurs due to factors such as low pressure and humidity in the cabins. If this is true for airplanes, it’s not hard to imagine that the same applies to space exploration.
Recently, a study explored the factors that alter the perception of the taste of food consumed by astronauts on space missions. Among the already known reasons, such as microgravity and food adaptation, a new factor caught our attention: the confinement.
Researchers have discovered that closed environments, such as spaceships, intensify aromas, modifying the sensory experience.
Understanding changes in taste on board planes is relatively simple - thanks to the experience of millions of passengers over the years - studying taste in space is much more challenging.
Only a few hundred people have traveled beyond Earth since Yuri Gagarin's first flight in 1961. Furthermore, the food consumed in space is specifically adapted for zero-gravity conditions, which makes it difficult to directly compare with common meals.
How this sensory study occurred
In the study, 44 participants performed aroma tests in two different scenarios. In the first, they were positioned on inclined chairs that simulated the posture of an astronaut in microgravity. In the second, they were immersed in a virtual experience that recreated the confined environment of the International Space Station (ISS).
Participants were exposed to various scents, including vanilla, almond, lemon, eucalyptus and vinegar. The results were published in the journal Food Research International and revealed curious differences in sensory perception between the two scenarios.
The researchers observed that participants tended to perceive aromas as more intense in the virtual reality environment, except in the case of the aroma of lemon or citronella tea, which was less pronounced in this context. These results highlight how the environment can significantly influence the sensory experience.
Researchers want to make food on space missions more enjoyable
This study is part of a series of experiments designed to better understand how astronauts perceive food in extreme conditions. Researchers believe there is much room for improvement in reproducing space conditions and adapting food to these environments.
Discoveries are not limited to space missions. They may have implications in other isolation contexts, such as in remote locations or situations of prolonged confinement on Earth.
Our results suggest that the use of virtual reality simulations and microgravity postures can help with the psychological training of astronauts, allowing them to better adapt to confined environments and personalize eating experiences to improve well-being.
Explained Lisa Newman, one of the study's researchers.
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Source: pplware.sapo.pt
