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An electric spoon on sale in Japan enhances the taste of sodium, which means those using it can cut back on salt.
The utensil, dubbed the Electric Salt Spoon, works by using a “a very weak electric current” that changes the way food tastes without affecting the rest of the body, according to a recent news release by Japanese beverage company Kirin.
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The company developed the spoon to promote healthy eating in collaboration with Meiji University’s Miyashita Laboratory.
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The Japanese diet includes a wide variety of salty foods, with Japanese adults eating double the recommended daily amount. In 2019, it was 10.1 grams, according to a report by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. (Adults should consume less than 5 grams (or 2,000 mg) of salt a day, says the World Health Organization.)
“Too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. It can also cause calcium losses, some of which may be pulled from bone,” according to Harvard University’s School of Public Health publication, the Nutrition Source.
For those eating low-sodium foods in the clinical trial, the spoon was able to enhance the taste of salt by about 1.5 times, the company said. The spoon is meant to be integrated into everyday life and can be used for eating soup, stir fry, rice and other foods. In the trial, 31 men and women between the ages of 40 and 65 years old used chopsticks equipped with the same technology as the spoon, the Miyashita Laboratory explained in a news release in 2022. The men and woman had already been reducing their salt intake and were asked about the level of saltiness they perceived when eating the test food. Twenty-nine out of 31 people said the saltiness had increased. The duration of the trial was not noted.
A YouTube video posted by Kirin shows how to use the spoon and how to clean it.
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In Japan, 200 spoons are on sale with a plan to release more in June. The spoon costs 19,800 yen or $172.98.
An electric bowl and a set of chopsticks were also developed by Kirin and the Miyashita Laboratory with same concept — but the spoon is their first product to hit the shelves.
Although the spoon isn’t available to Canadians yet, it could be a useful utensil across the country. Most people in Canada eat too much sodium, according to Health Canada. A report released in 2017 revealed that Canadians are consuming 2,760 mg of salt daily — higher than the WHO’s recommendation of 2,000 mg, or just under a teaspoon.
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