Girin-Meiji University Joint Research Team Achievement
Passing Electric Current Through Sodium Chloride Ions
Effective in Preventing Diseases Caused by Excessive Salt Intake
A product that uses a weak electric current on a spoon to make salty taste feel stronger than it actually is has been released in Japan. On the 21st, Asahi Shimbun and Sankei Shimbun reported that Japanese company Kirin Holdings and Professor Homei Miyashita of Meiji University jointly developed the technology and launched the "Salt-Enhancing Spoon" through an official online store the day before. From mid-next month, it is planned to be sold through general retail stores as well.
A product has been released in Japan that uses a weak electric current on a spoon to make the salty taste feel stronger than it actually is. [Photo by Kirin Holdings]
The handle of this spoon contains a battery, allowing the electric current intensity to be adjusted in four levels. The technology applies a weak current that draws sodium ions from the food on the spoon closer to the tongue, making the salty taste feel stronger. Kirin Holdings explained that using this spoon allows users to feel satisfied even with seasoning reduced by about 30% compared to usual salt levels.
However, an Asahi Shimbun reporter who tried eating food directly with this spoon said that at first, they could not notice a difference, but after paying attention and trying again, they felt "the salty taste became stronger," indicating that the perception varies individually. Asahi Shimbun reported that it is expected to contribute to improving the eating habits of those who are not satisfied with low-sodium diets.
The Japanese beverage company Kirin Holdings, which previously conducted related research with Professor Miyashita, has been carrying out joint research on salty-tasting chopsticks, so-called 'electric taste,' since 2019. [Photo by Kirin Holdings]
Previously, Kirin Holdings, a Japanese beverage company, conducted related research together with Professor Miyashita since 2019 on salty chopsticks, so-called "electric taste." "Electric taste" is a technology that uses a minute electric current that does not affect the human body to regulate the activity of ions of sodium chloride, which is the basis of salty taste, and monosodium glutamate, which is the basis of umami, thereby making the taste of food stronger or milder. In fact, in 2022, Professor Miyashita created chopsticks that enhance sodium ions, the source of "salty taste," using a weak electric current and announced that "the salty taste could be enhanced up to 1.5 times."
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