How electric chopsticks could help cut salt consumption
Meiji University in Tokyo has invented a chopstick device to help reduce salt consumption
If you're a pro with chopsticks, then you're perfectly primed to reduce your salt consumption thanks to this latest invention from Japan. Apparently, all it takes is some light electric stimulation to the tongue to stop you from wanting to add salt to your food.
The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than five grams of salt per day in order to limit the risk of high blood pressure, stroke or heart attack. This can be difficult to achieve when you start to notice the salt levels in industrially-prepared dishes, and if you then add cheese, bread products, cookies and cold cuts to your diet. While in many regions professionals in the food industry are committed to cutting salt in their products, such as baked goods, over the next few years, a team of Japanese researchers has found a way to keep delivering the salty taste we love so much without relying on the salt shaker.
The scientists tested the device with 36 volunteers who were equipped with a small computer, worn on the user's wrist and linked to the chopsticks. To judge the salty sensation, two gels with different salt contents were used -- 0.80% for the first and 0.56% for the second. The volunteers rated the salty flavor as being just as high with the less sodium-rich gel.
This is not the first time that this Japanese university has showcased a surprising technological innovation. One of its professors, Homei Miyashita, made headlines in 2021 with the invention of a screen that reproduced the taste of food, and which could even be licked...
Last Updated :
April 22, 22 09:00:17 PM IST