On the primary night time of CES 2025, Kirin Holdings, a Japanese firm recognized for its beer and drinks, confirmed off its new digital spoon that makes your meals style saltier. The corporate says its spoon makes use of a weak electrical present to pay attention sodium ion molecules in your meals, including a stronger umami and salt taste to low-sodium meals.
A restricted provide of the Digital Salt Spoon went on sale in Japan in 2024 for roughly $127 in American {dollars}, however Kirin hopes to promote the system across the globe within the coming years. The corporate claims this system can noticeably improve the “saltiness” of your meals, with out including any further sodium.
A crowd of individuals tried some soup utilizing Kirin’s spoon at CES Unveiled in Las Vegas. TechCrunch didn’t strive it ourselves, as a result of there’s one thing a couple of communal tech convention spoon that simply isn’t that appetizing.
Whereas the spoon appears too good to be true, there’s some convincing analysis behind it that implies it could be legit. The product launch of Kirin’s spoon marked the primary commercialization of know-how that received the 2023 Ig Nobel prize, a satirical award for uncommon scientific analysis. The researchers behind it first revealed their thesis in 2011, however have since made spoons, forks, and chopsticks that move electrical currents into meals.
Kirin says it created the spoon to assist individuals devour much less salt. This downside is very related in Japan, the place the nation’s grownup inhabitants eats greater than double the World Well being Group’s really helpful consumption.