Can you imagine being able to eat a salty food, but without using more salt? Although it sounds quite illogical, a group of researchers has succeeded. How have they done it? Connecting chopsticks to the electric current. The rest, as they say, is history.
From Ars Technica echo a new device for chopsticks, which produces “electrical stimulation to make food taste 50 percent saltier.” This technology has been researched and developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Kirinwhich has brought together a group of researchers to achieve this impressive feat.
Of course, we are not talking about ordinary chopsticks. This version of the traditional Asian utensil Arrives connected to an electrical outlet via a power cord. The result is a product that is not very comfortable to use and, of course, it is not something that we would receive for free with a delivery of sushi
How the technology behind these electric chopsticks works
This utensil has been developed by researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Homei Miyashita of Meiji University. This group has worked together with Kirin, and they have managed to create the technology called “electric taste sensation“. In addition, they assure that does not affect the human bodythis due to the level of electricity so low that it handles.
Dr. Miyashita is well known for being the creator of an interesting screen. With her you could taste your favorite foods just by licking the panel. Of course, it is a rather strange invention, but it seems that he has managed to take it to a better port with these electric chopsticks.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of these chopsticks, the team conducted a study on a population of 36 people. For their part, the ages of these individuals were between 40 and 65 years. According to the aforementioned medium, the researchers used the electric stick device to compare perceived salinity; using a gel that imitated food and which contained 0.8% salt. The other gel used in the study, meanwhile, contained 0.5%, thus representing a low-sodium food.
From these samples, the researchers analyzed the salinity perceived by each of the participants.
The surprising results of Kirin
“When tasting the samples mimicking low-sodium foods, the perceived salty taste increased by a factor of 1.5 when the developed electrical stimulation wave was applied to the chopstick device, compared to no electrical stimulation,” he says. the document, and add:
In addition, the study confirmed that the intensity of the salty taste of the sample mimicking low-sodium food was the same as that of the sample mimicking ordinary food when electrical stimulation was applied. This suggests that when food with 30% less salt is consumed, a device equipped with this technology can provide a salty taste equivalent to that of a normal meal.
Kirin
In addition to testing the invention in special gels, Kirin also carried out tests using “reduced sodium miso soup.” However, on this last study did not offer results. Likewise, they did not delve into how these electric chopsticks affected the perception of salt in the subjects when eating foods without sodium.
Kirin assures that this technology could be carried over to other utensils, such as spoons or even teacups. Of course, each one will need an electrical power supply to work, but without a doubt it is an incredible advance. Let’s remember that the health dangers of foods that are too high in sodium or sugars have become our daily bread, and devices like this one could reduce weight to a great extent.
However, it seems that at the moment there are no plans to commercialize the used technology. However, Kirin says that, together with the Miyashita Laboratory, they plan to use their research to “provide both the mental satisfaction of a richer perceived taste, along with the health benefits derived from nutritional aspects for those following a diet low in sodium”.