New Electric Chopsticks Make Food Taste Salty

Hold the salt! Japanese diners could soon enjoy the health benefits of less salt in dishes like ramen, thanks to the development of computerised chopsticks that enhance salty tastes instead.

^{Image: Courtesy fof Kirin Holdings}

How do the electric chopsticks work

Japanese researchers, Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, and food and drink manufacturer Kirin Holdings Co. say that the chopsticks can enhance salty taste by 1.5 times. They work by using a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food through the chopsticks to the mouth where they create a sense of saltiness. Diners simply wear a mini-computer worn on a wristband with cables attached to the end of the chopsticks to create the effect while eating.

^{Image: Courtesy fof Kirin Holdings}

This development could be ground breaking in a nation with a high salt diet, where the average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt per day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organisation. "If we try to avoid taking less salt in a conventional way, we would need to endure the pain of cutting our favourite food from our diet, or endure eating bland food," said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. 

Take a look at the chopsticks in action below:

When will the chopstick's prototype will be available

According to Reuters, a refined version of the chopstick prototype could be available to purchase as early as next year. In the meantime, Miyashita's team are also working on lickable TVs that can imitate various food flavours.