Revealed: tricks of the food industry

By HELEN BRIDLE
Published on 07/09/2012 12:51

FOOD scientists have revealed some simple tricks to help impress your dinner guests or to improve the taste of airline meals.

Professor Barry Smith from the University of London explained that research has shown that food tastes better when eaten off round plates compared to square plates with heavy cutlery.

With aeroplane dinners his tip was to wear headphones to block out the background white noise which interferes with our taste discrimination.

He explained that taste is not just something that comes from our tongues - it is actually a multi-sensory experience.

Stale Pringles can be made to taste fresh if people are played crunching noises while eating them.

The smell of vanilla also makes food taste sweeter. The vanilla effect is cultural learned association, working in the UK but not in Japan where vanilla is not normally included in sweet tasting items.

People are also more likely to pay more for heavier bottles of wine.

Prof Smith said the research could also be useful in helping elderly people to eat properly. He explained that a decline in our sense of smell as we get older means food tends to taste less good. Aiming to enhance the smell could improve the taste.