{"id":4278,"date":"2024-06-02T15:17:58","date_gmt":"2024-06-02T15:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/02\/electric-spoon-that-enhances-salty-taste-of-food-and-promotes-healthier-eating-launched-in-japan\/"},"modified":"2024-06-02T15:17:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T15:17:58","slug":"electric-spoon-that-enhances-salty-taste-of-food-and-promotes-healthier-eating-launched-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/02\/electric-spoon-that-enhances-salty-taste-of-food-and-promotes-healthier-eating-launched-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Electric spoon that \u2018enhances salty taste of food and promotes healthier eating\u2019 launched in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A battery-operated spoon has been launched which apparently enhances the salty taste of low-sodium food without the need for extra salt.<\/p>\n

The piece of cutlery – made of plastic and metal and being sold in Japan<\/strong> – is aimed at people struggling to reduce their salt<\/strong> intake, as researchers claim it promotes healthier eating.<\/p>\n

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Excess sodium intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure, strokes and other conditions.<\/p>\n

In Japan, adults consume on average around 10g of salt a day – which is double the World Health Organisation’s recommended intake.<\/p>\n

The Electric Salt Spoon works by passing a weak electric current through the tip of the device to concentrate sodium ion molecules on the tongue.<\/p>\n

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This magnifies the perceived saltiness of the food by one and a half times, according to its Japanese makers, Kirin.<\/p>\n

Users can choose their preferred intensity from four different levels, said the company which is moving more into healthcare from its traditional beer business.<\/p>\n

The object was co-developed with Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, who previously demonstrated the taste-enhancing effect in prototype electric chopsticks using currents. He won the Ig Nobel Nutrition prize last year.<\/p>\n

People who try to limit their salt intake often complain that food becomes tasteless, according to a survey the company carried out in 2021.<\/p>\n

The spoon weighs 60g and runs on a rechargeable lithium battery.<\/p>\n

Kirin is initially putting 200 of the items on sale online for 19,800 yen (\u00a399) each.<\/p>\n

There will then be a limited run at a Japanese retailer this month.<\/p>\n

But the company is hoping to have one million users worldwide within five years.<\/p>\n

“Japan has a food culture that tends to favour salty flavours,” said Kirin researcher Ai Sato.<\/p>\n

“Japanese people as a whole need to reduce the amount of salt intake but it can be difficult to move away from what we’re used to eating.<\/p>\n

“That’s what led us to develop this electric spoon.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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