A special battery-powered cup and spoon designed for dishes that have significant moisture, such as soups or curries, help bring out the salt taste in foods at mealtime. Photo courtesy of Kirin
TOKYO, Nov. 7 (UPI) — A new technology marketed in Japan reduces the need for salt without losing or changing the flavor of many dishes.
It’s not a salt substitute, but rather an innovation that allows the tongue to taste sodium already present om food by drawing flavor-bearing ions closer to the taste buds.
This effect is delivered through a special battery-powered cup and spoon designed for dishes that have significant moisture, such as soups or curries.
This inventive approach seems well-matched to Japan’s famous “umami” flavoring and appeals to members of the country’s aging populace who want to reduce sodium intake.
The term umami, while popular with gourmet dining fans, remains a mystery to many. Known to foodies through miso soup or ramen, the flavor has been described as characteristic of broths and cooked meats, and chefs and diners may try to kick it up a notch by reaching for the salt shaker.
Ai Sato of Kirin Holdings’ health science business division came up with the tableware and cutlery idea for the company, partly inspired by virtual reality.
Her colleague, Giorgio Lago, recounted that “while conducting research in hospitals, Sato realized that even though people understood the importance of reducing salt, many found it hard to continue because the food tasted bland.”
“Later, while attending conferences related to virtual reality — Sato is a fan of games and sci-fi anime and also attended exhibitions related to food and health — she learned about technology that can alter taste using electrical stimulation.
“That was the moment the thought occurred: ‘Could this technology solve the problem of salt reduction?’ That was the starting point.”
The Kirin team developed the products in collaboration with Meiji University’s Department of Frontier Media Science Professor Homei Miyashita. An early chopsticks prototype did not have the form-factor needed for highly conductive foods and was set aside.
“At first, we weren’t sure if it could really be achieved, and since we had other core responsibilities, the research began as an underground project,” Sato said. “Including that early stage, it took about six years to develop and launch the product.”
The electric salt spoon finally rolled out in May 2024.The spoon won awards for “digital health and accessibility” and “age tech” at the 2025 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Awards, but it may take consumers some time to accept the new culinary approach.
Japan enjoys a reputation for offbeat inventions, and is tied with the United States and the United Kingdom as top performers in the international Ig Nobel prize competition for “achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.”
In a recent presentation on the creativity of Japanese researchers, discoveries in electric taste stimulation were cited by Rikkyo University College of Science Professor Kiyoshi Furusawa for capturing the 2023 Ig Nobel nutrition prize “for experiments to determine how electrified chopsticks and drinking straws can change the taste of food.”
The originality of this sodium reduction approach may give pause to traditional types not ready for a technological tabletop.
The electric salt cup and spoon are powered by common button batteries, and a small switch selects one of three taste levels. After using the utensils for just a minute or two, users find them to be neither gimmicky nor gadgetry. Rather, while mostly maintaining the appearance of traditional tableware, they were able to deliver an augmented salt flavor that tastes natural.
Will this bold approach to food flavoring be accepted by consumers? Business consultants frequently refer to Japan’s “Galapagos syndrome,” in which certain products suffer poor exports because they are too far ahead of the market, or too difficult for buyers to understand.
English speakers may have hesitated at Sony’s grammar-breaking name for its Walkman audio cassette player (originally launched as the Soundabout), but ended up buying them eagerly.
Lago said that Kirin is ready to sound the global appeal of the electric salt products, marketed in Japan as “Eleki-Salt”
Starting this month, the company said, “we will expand sales through major electronics retailers in Japan. In 2026, we plan to conduct test sales outside Japan.
“By 2029, our goal is to deliver the Eleki-Salt experience to 1 million people worldwide, and by 2030, to grow this into a business generating several billion yen in annual revenue.”
The cup sells in Japan for the equivalent of about $176 (tax included), with the spoon going for about $162.
Caution is urged for some people. A safety advisory warns “There are certain conditions under which this product may not be used (e.g., minors and persons fitted with a pacemaker or other medical electrical device).”
The utensils can be disassembled to separate the electronic elements, and the main parts can be placed in the dishwasher.
Despite the widening and often pricey selection of gourmet salt varieties on today’s store shelves, reduced sodium consumption is broadly advised, even if that advice is not followed.
A 2023 World Health Organization website headline reads, “Massive efforts needed to reduce salt intake and protect lives,” and the WHO’s “Global Report on Sodium Intake Reduction” details how the world is off-track to achieve the United Nations’ specialized agency’s 2025 global target of reducing sodium intake by 30%.
Lago said that for those who enjoy salt even on their desserts, the devices can be used on sweets with sufficient moisture, such as fruit jelly.
As a pioneer in the category of electrically augmented flavoring, Kirin’s cup and spoon — if successful — may be followed by a wave of imitators offering boosted or even purely simulated flavors covering the palate’s potential.
Thus far, the utensils have been tested in workplace lunchrooms, and a collaboration with a prominent ramen chain restaurant is being planned.