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Japanese researchers have developed a electric chopsticks that increase the salty taste of foodwith the aim of helping those who need to reduce the sodium content of their diets.
Developed by Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita and Kirin Holding Co, chopsticks change flavor using electrical stimulation and a small computer that is attached to the wrist of the person who uses them.
The device uses a small electrical impulse that transmits sodium ions from the food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth, where the perception of the salty taste is created. “The result is that the salty taste increases by 1.5 points,” says Professor Miyashita.
This impulse is so weak that it does not affect the human body, and it is necessary to join the function of ions such as chloride and sodium glutamate to make food taste more or less strong.
These chopsticks have a particular relevance in Japan, since the flavors of their diet are traditionally salty. A Japanese adult consumes an average of 10 grams of salt per day, twice the recommended amount by the World Health Organization (WHO). The problem is that excess salt consumption is related to high blood pressure, heart attacks and other ailments.
“To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we consume,” says Ai Sato, a researcher at the Kirin company. “If we’re trying to avoid conventional consumption, we should cut some of our favorite foods out of our diet,” he adds.
Miyashita and Kirin are finalizing the details of the chopsticks and hope to release them next year.
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