Japanese Researchers Develop Electric Chopsticks to Enhance Salty Taste
2022-04-22
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1Japanese researchers have developed electric chopsticks that enhance the salty taste of foods.
2The devices could help people who need to reduce their intake of sodium.
3The chopsticks were developed by Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita and drink manufacturer Kirin Holdings Company.
4Wiring connects the chopsticks to a small computer device attached to the eater's hand.
5A weak electrical current transports sodium ions from food through the chopsticks to the mouth, said Miyashita.
6"As a result, the salty taste enhances 1.5 times," he said.
7Miyashita and his research team have explored different ways that technology can interact with human senses.
8He has also developed a television screen that a person can lick to taste different food flavors.
9The traditional diet in Japan is salty.
10The average Japanese adult eats about 10 grams of salt each day.
11That is two times the amount suggested by the World Health Organization.
12High sodium intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure, strokes and other conditions.
13"To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we take," said Kirin researcher Ai Sato.
14Sato added that if Japanese people try to reduce salt intake in the usual ways, they will need to cut many of their favorite foods from their diet.
15Otherwise, she said, they would have to eat bland, or flavorless, food.
16Miyashita and Kirin are improving their chopsticks and hope to have them ready to sell as early as next year.
17I'm Jonathan Evans.
1Japanese researchers have developed electric chopsticks that enhance the salty taste of foods. The devices could help people who need to reduce their intake of sodium. 2The chopsticks were developed by Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita and drink manufacturer Kirin Holdings Company. 3Wiring connects the chopsticks to a small computer device attached to the eater's hand. 4A weak electrical current transports sodium ions from food through the chopsticks to the mouth, said Miyashita. 5"As a result, the salty taste enhances 1.5 times," he said. 6Miyashita and his research team have explored different ways that technology can interact with human senses. He has also developed a television screen that a person can lick to taste different food flavors. 7The traditional diet in Japan is salty. The average Japanese adult eats about 10 grams of salt each day. That is two times the amount suggested by the World Health Organization. 8High sodium intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure, strokes and other conditions. 9"To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we take," said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. 10Sato added that if Japanese people try to reduce salt intake in the usual ways, they will need to cut many of their favorite foods from their diet. Otherwise, she said, they would have to eat bland, or flavorless, food. 11Miyashita and Kirin are improving their chopsticks and hope to have them ready to sell as early as next year. 12I'm Jonathan Evans. 13Rikako Murayama and Akiko Okamoto reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. 14Words in This Story 15enhance - v. to make greater or better 16lick - v. to pass the tongue over 17flavor - n. the quality of something that affects the sense of taste