Are you trying to reduce your salt intake? Japanese scientists are developing an electric SPOON that zaps your tongue to boost the salty taste of low-sodium foods — and it could hit the market this year
- Japanese scientists have developed a spoon and bowl that increases the saltiness of food
- The electric salt spoon uses a weak electric current to transfer sodium ions
- The unique electrical stimulation increases the salty taste of food by 1.5 times
- It should be on the market later this year
If the New Year’s health rush to reducing your salt intake was a struggle, perhaps this futuristic new utensil could help.
Scientists at Meiji University in Japan have developed an electric spoon that zaps your tongue to boost the salty taste of bland foods, giving you all the benefits of a sodium hit without fear of your blood pressure skyrocketing.
It works by using electric waves to transfer sodium ions, or “electric salt,” into your mouth.
The invention – which is expected to go on sale later this year at an undisclosed price – is so effective that it boosts the salty taste of low-sodium foods by 1.5 times, the researchers say.
Scientists at Meiji University in Japan have developed an electric spoon that zaps your tongue to boost the salty taste of low-sodium foods. Pictured: The electric salt spoon
How Much Salt Should We Eat?
Adult
Adults should consume no more than 6g of salt per day (2.4g of sodium) — the equivalent of about 1 teaspoon
children
1 to 3 years should not eat more than 2 g of salt per day (0.8 g of sodium).
4 to 6 years should not eat more than 3 g of salt per day (1.2 g of sodium).
7 to 10 years should not eat more than 5 g of salt per day (2 g of sodium).
Ages 11 and older should eat no more than 6g of salt per day (2.4g of sodium).
Source: NHS
The scientists, along with drinks maker Kirin Holdings Co, hope the spoon and bowl set will help improve people’s lifestyles when the electric salt maker hits the market in 2023.
In Japan, daily salt intake was 10.9 grams for men and 9.3 grams for women over 20 – well above the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5 grams per day.
Excessive sodium intake has been linked to an increased incidence of high blood pressure, stroke and other ailments.
The Electronic Taste Sensation technology works by using a very weak electric current to transfer the electric salt into a person’s mouth.
It has no effect on the human body, but changes the taste of food through a pseudo-sensory perception.
Clinical tests showed that the saltiness of foods was increased 1.5 times when testing people trying to reduce salt.
dr Homei Miyashita has been studying the problem of salt intake in Japan since 2019 and conducted a series of tests and surveys.
A survey asked 120 men and women, ages 30 to 69, who were trying to reduce their salt intake.
Researchers have also previously developed electric chopsticks (pictured) that transfer sodium ions to your mouth via a bracelet to replicate the sensation of being salty
Clinical tests showed that when people trying to reduce salt used the bowl and spoon, the saltiness of food was increased 1.5 times
How does the electric salt spoon work?
The power can be turned on with the handle of the spoon.
The user can then choose how intense the salty flavor should be – there are four levels.
Then use the spoon as usual.
The weak electric current will flow through the food to create the effect.
It showed that people trying to reduce salt intake tried to avoid consuming Raman noodles and miso soup, which were ranked as the top two foods people trying to reduce their salt intake wanted to eat.
However, they felt that reducing the salt in these dishes meant they were dissatisfied with the taste.
The new spoon and bowl aim to eliminate the need for extra salt while still making eating enjoyable.
It’s not the first time that Professor Miyashita and his lab have explored ways in which technology can interact with and stimulate human sensory experiences.
Last year, the team created a chopstick-style device using the same technology.
The same researchers developed an electric chopstick that transferred sodium ions into your mouth, but this time via a bracelet to replicate the sensation of being salty.
As with the new spoon, the device uses a low-level electric current to carry sodium ions from food through the chopsticks to the mouth, where they create a salty sensation, Professor Miyashita said.
Kirin researcher Ai Sato said at the time: “To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we eat.
“If we try to conventionally avoid eating less salt, we would have to endure the pain of eliminating our favorite foods from our diets or endure eating bland foods.”
Previously, Professor Miyashita’s team had developed a lickable television screen capable of imitating various food flavors.
The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), contained 10 different aroma canisters that sprayed test samples onto the screen depending on the show.
It’s an experimental technology whose developers believe a commercial version will cost around £650 ($875).
Japanese scientists develop a LEAKABLE TV screen
This isn’t the first time Professor Miyashita and his lab have explored ways in which technology can interact with and stimulate human sensory experiences.
Last year he developed a lickable TV screen that can imitate different flavors of food.
Called Taste the TV (TTTV), the device contains a carousel of 10 flavor canisters that can spray flavor samples onto the surface of the screen.
The different flavor profiles in the canisters can then be combined to create flavors similar to those displayed on the screen – coffee or pizza, for example.
It is an experimental technology developed by Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan. Developers expect a commercial version to cost around £650 ($875).
Japanese scientists have created a lickable TV that allows viewers to taste the food being prepared in a cooking show and adds a layer of immersion