Experts at Meiji University, the Yoshinori Miyashita Laboratory of the Department of Advanced Media Science, developed new electric chopsticks. Additionally, they developed the chopsticks in partnership with Kirin, a Japanese food producer. The researchers claim that these chopsticks will focus on reducing salt consumption. In addition, the new electric chopsticks will make food 1.5 times tastier without salt.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan aimed to reduce the nation’s salt consumption by 20%. Hence, the innovative chopsticks will help Japan achieve this goal. The Meiji University experts stated on their website that “this joint research” can help overcome the hurdle of eating bland food. They said, “It will enhance the taste of thin, low-salt diets by the effect of enhancing saltiness using electrical stimulation.”
Moreover, one electric chopsticks pair is metal, and the other is non-metal. Hence, the metal one is a good conductor of electricity. The researchers claimed that the electric current creates a unique waveform in a person’s mouth. Consequently, it can trigger the monosodium glutamate and sodium chloride ions in food, enhancing saltiness. As a result, these new electric chopsticks will enhance the umami flavors of the food better than salt.
Furthermore, the experts assured the people that the current produced by the electric chopsticks is not harmful. The reason is that the amount of electricity produced by these chopsticks is not detectable. Thus, people can use them just like standard chopsticks.
