this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2024
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Electric spoon that makes food taste saltier goes on sale in Japan (news.sky.com)
submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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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.

The piece of cutlery - made of plastic and metal and being sold in Japan - is aimed at people struggling to reduce their salt intake, as researchers claim it promotes healthier eating.

Excess sodium intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure, strokes and other conditions.

In Japan, adults consume on average around 10g of salt a day - which is double the World Health Organisation's recommended intake.

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.

This magnifies the perceived saltiness of the food by one and a half times, according to its Japanese makers, Kirin.

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

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.

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[–] [email protected] 73 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Excess sodium bad. Lick metallic electric spoon good?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago

This guy electric spoons.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Testimonials are already good: "I managed to halve my salt intake in a week thanks to this brewery's tongue-electrocution cutlery." Probably.

I believe they are moving into smart shock condoms next called Tinglr. Now I say it outloud, I might patent that.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (1 children)

My gf already complains it's too salty. I'm not sure what market you'll be targeting with that condom

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Bender? Or Fry.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Dont let your dreams be memes

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

That's cool and all, but this guy did it better

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

I mean, if the aim is to reduce salt intake, "better" is questionable.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

lol, I dunno if I would say “better”, but that was definitely more entertaining

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That is probably the delightful click of the day! I laughed the whole way through.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Really loved the closing statement

More than a utensil, the Salt Fork is a reminder that life and the best things are temporary. That you too will one day sink your teeth into a piece of steak for the last time. I hope for you that that day is far into the future

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (2 children)

this is unironically cool af tho

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Now let's do it for sugar

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yeah, it's a great idea in theory! Often we eat things where the salt is mixed in - yet by moving the salt forward, it does help.

An example of this without the electro-spoon is salting unsalted butter on bread before eating it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The spoon, which is made of plastic and metal, is aimed at people struggling to reduce their salt intake, as researchers claim it promotes healthier eating.

Excess sodium intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure, strokes and other conditions.

In Japan, adults consume on average around 10g of salt a day, double the World Health Organisation's recommended intake.

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

The object was co-developed with Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita, who previously demonstrated the taste-enhancing effect in prototype electric chopsticks using currents.

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The original article contains 326 words, the summary contains 128 words. Saved 61%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!