An electrified spoon that can apparently make food taste saltier, without the need to add extra sodium to one’s diet, entered the market this month, according to a statement from its manufacturer, the Japanese drinks giant Kirin Holdings
Last year, the Electric Salt Spoon was part of a group of similar utensils that won an Ig Nobel Prize – a satirical award celebrating odd and often pointless breakthroughs in scientific research. However, the last laugh could be Kirin’s if the spoon proves a hit with health conscious consumers.
The spoon comes with a rechargeable lithium battery and works by passing a weak electric field to concentrate sodium ion molecules on the tongue, which Kirin says enhances the perception of food’s saltiness.
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Currently selling for 19,800 yen (US$127), the spoon will be available this month in a limited batch of just 200. However, overseas sales are scheduled to kick off in 2025, and the company is aiming for one million users globally within five years.
Kirin has noted that its salt-enhancing technology was particularly relevant for Japanese people, who tend to eat double the amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organisation. The long term effects of consuming too much salt include high blood pressure, strokes, and kidney disease.
“Japan has a food culture that tends to favour salty flavours,” said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. “Japanese people as a whole need to reduce the amount of salt intake but it can be difficult to move away from what we’re used to eating. That’s what led us to develop this electric spoon.”
