Electric chopsticks simulate taste of salt

Excessive salt consumption is now a worldwide problem. Even we Germans consume more salt every day than is healthy. A new innovation in the form of electric chopsticks that simulate and amplify the taste of salt via a microchip could now provide a remedy.

Japan develops electric chopsticks

On average, men in Germany consume 10 grams of salt every day. For women, on the other hand, it is “only” 8.6 grams a day – but both values are well above the recommendation of the German Nutrition Society (DGE). That’s according to a study by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). But excessive salt consumption is a worldwide problem. Even in Japan, consumption according to Reuters is well above the WHO recommendation at around 10 grams.

Professor Homei Miyashita and his team of researchers from Meiji University and the beverage company Kirin Holdings are now trying to tackle the problem with an innovative invention. Together, they have unveiled electric chopsticks that enhance the taste of salt using electrical stimulation and a mini-computer attached via a wristband.

As a result, it should be possible to achieve a significantly lower salt content in food without any impact on taste. With the help of a weak electric current, sodium ions are detached from the meal and amplified in the simulation.

50 percent saltier

As part of the study, Miyashita’s team prescribed low-salt diets for the subjects and compared the results with meals that had a normal salt content. When combined with the electric chopsticks, the salty taste was enhanced by 50 percent.

Homei Miyashita is a well-known name in the field of taste research and stimulation of human sensory experience. Just a few months ago, he unveiled a screen designed to make the television content being displayed tasteable by licking it.

Market launch targeted for 2023

Together, Miyashita and Kirin Holdings hope to further advance the market readiness of the electric chopsticks and launch the product as early as 2023. Excessive sodium consumption is also a problem in Japan, where it has been linked to high blood pressure, strokes and other health risks.