By John Anton Garcia

PHOTO: Reuters

Reducing sodium intake without ending up with bland, tasteless food has never been easier with these marvelous chopsticks from Japan.

In collaboration with beverage company Kirin Holdings, university professor and researcher Homei Miyashita developed a ‘taste-enhancing’ pair of computerized chopsticks with health and wellness in mind.

The chopsticks utilize a weak electrical current and a computer wristband to directly transmit sodium ions from the food to the mouth through only the utensil mentioned. Evaluations on its effectiveness have indicated that it can enhance the salty taste of food by up to 1.5 times.

Kirin researchers noted the innovation’s particular relevance is in Japan where the average daily sodium intake of people is at around 10g, a figure double the World Health Organization’s recommendation of less than 5g.

The team working on the said chopsticks led by the Meiji University scientist are looking further into development prior to its targeted release in consumer markets next year, along with other health-oriented innovations.

Not his first scientific sensation in the world of taste, Miyashita was also the brainchild of the flavor-imitating ‘lickable’ tv screen that caught the attention of the general public last December 2021.