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

By Julia Low, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Food (Sensory Science), RMIT University
Grace Loke Mei Ing, PhD Candidate in Food Science, RMIT University
Ian Peake, Digital Solutions Architect, RMIT University
Jayani Chandrapala, Associate Professor, RMIT University
Lisa Newman, Lecturer in Nutrition, RMIT University

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…

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