Astronauts don’t eat enough because food tastes bland in space. We’re trying to work out why

Astronauts don’t eat enough because food tastes bland in space. We’re trying to work out why

Astronauts don’t eat enough because food tastes bland in space. We’re trying to work out why

MELBOURNE: Astronauts often report that the joy of eating is lost in space. Food that tastes fabulous on Earth may become bland and boring in orbit.

In fact, despite carefully designed diets, space travellers often struggle to eat enough to meet their energy needs.

What’s going on here? We carried out some experiments on Earth to find out, using virtual reality (VR) and a simulated spacecraft environment to study how space travel might affect a person’s sense of smell and experience of food.