For years, scientists believed that the ability to smell declined universally with age. But it turns out our aging olfactory sense varies based on the scent.

There’s no questions that the sense of smell gradually declines beginning at about age 55. Yet new research suggests the trend isn’t universal. Researchers in Denmark have found that older people retain some olfactory prowess and the sense of smell is more complex than once believed.

In their study, more than 250 people between the ages of 60 and 98 were tested for their food-smelling abilities. A group of about 100 younger people were used as controls to validate the results.

Among the senior set, certain odors such as mushrooms, onions and fried meat were harder to capture. But they captured other scents like raspberry, oranges and vanilla as well as their younger counterparts.

The scientists also found that an individual’s interest or dislike of a particular scent, such as fried meat, had no effect on their ability to detect it. They also were not able to determine why the declining sense of smell in older adults seems to be scent-specific. One theory is that the aromas that became harder to detect with age are all considered savory.

The findings have potentially important implications for nutrition strategies for older adults. The sense of smell is important to stimulating appetite. In fact, it’s among the reasons why half of the people over age 65 in Danish hospitals arrive malnourished.

Still, the researchers said, smell intensity isn’t an all-or-nothing situation. If an older friend or relative can still get a whiff of what’s being served, just go with that dish.