Japan Invents 'Electric' Chopsticks That Make Food Seem More Salty

Diners in Japan could soon be able to enjoy a bowl of ramen without having to worry about their salt intake. Researchers claim to have developed a way to make the taste of salt artificially, as part of efforts to reduce the amount of salt in some of the country's most popular dishes. The chopsticks work by using electrical stimulation and a mini- computer. Homei Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, who collaborated with the food and drink manufacturer to develop the device, said that the device creates a sense of saltiness through the transmission of sodium ion from food to the mouth. The team hopes to make the chopsticks available to consumers next year. In Japan, the traditional diet tends to be high in salt due to the use of ingredients such as soy sauce.