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16th January 2025
11:46am GMT
A Japanese company known for its beer and beverages has developed a new electronic spoon that makes your food taste saltier.
Kirin Holdings unveiled the new electric spoon at CES 2025.
The spoon uses a mild electric current to concentrate sodium ions, boosting the umami and salt flavour of low-sodium foods without adding extra salt. It increases saltiness by 1.5 times.
The spoon offers four intensity levels to customize the taste experience. Made of plastic and metal, it weighs just 60g and is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery.
Launched in Japan in 2024 for around $127, Kirin plans to expand global sales in the future.
The company claims this device can noticeably increase the “saltiness” of your food, without adding any additional sodium.
The researchers behind it first published their thesis in 2011, but have since made spoons, forks, and chopsticks that pass electric currents into food.
Kirin states that in a 2022 study of its chopsticks that involved 31 test subjects, the technology was found to enhance the perceived saltiness of low-sodium foods by a factor of approximately 1.5. That said, the company does add that results will vary with the user, and with the type of food.
The company say they have developed the spoon to help people consume less salt which is a problem for many people particularly Japan.
The country’s adult population eats more than double the World Health Organisation’s recommended intake.
