Researchers in Japan have developed chopsticks that artificially create the taste of salt, as part of efforts to reduce sodium(钴) levels in some of the country's most popular dishes.
The chopsticks work by using electrical stimulation and a mini-computer worn on the eater's wristband. The device conveys sodium ions(离子) from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltiness, according to Homei Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, whose laboratory collaborated with the food and drink manufacturer Kirin to develop the device.
"The chopsticks use very weak electricity—not enough to affect the human body-to adjust the function of ions to change the perception of taste by making food seem to taste stronger or weaker," said Kirin.
The chopsticks could find a receptive audience in Japan, where the traditional diet tends to be high in salt due to the use of ingredients such as miso and soy sauce. The average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt a day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization
Miyashita and Kirin said clinical tests on people who followed a low-sodium diet had confirmed that the device enhanced the salty taste of low-sodium food by about 1. 5 times. They said participants given reduced-salt miso soup had commented on the improved "richness, sweetness and overall tastiness" of the dish.
High salt intake can contribute to high blood pressure, which is the single biggest cause of heart attacks and strokes. "To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we take," said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. "If we try to avoid taking less salt in a conventional way, we would need to bear the pain of cutting our favorite food from our diet."
The team said they would continue to improve the electric chopsticks and hoped to make them available to consumers next year. Miyashita's lab also is exploring other ways in which technology can be used to engage the senses-it has also invented a lockable(可以锁定的) TV screen that imitates the flavor of various foods.
