Experts have developed an electric spoon that can replace spices and flavors and affect the taste buds in the mouth on its own.
The smart spoon, called the SpoonTEK, is touted as a healthy alternative to flavors from salt to monosodium glutamate, according to the New Atlas Portal.
According to its developers, the electric spoon should make any diet more palatable, especially the salt-free diet. And although you can eat anything with an electric spoon, it is more suitable for wet foods, such as soup, yogurt, etc.
The smart spoon contains a small battery and two electrodes: one on the underside of the handle and the other in the bowl section.
The fingers of the hand come into contact with the two poles of the handle, and when a person takes a spoon in his mouth and touches another electrode at the bottom of the spoon with his tongue and lips, the electrical circuit is closed and the electrical current hits the taste receptors, thereby strengthening the taste of food.
At the same time, the LED on the spoon lights up and music plays. And the electric current is very weak, no more than 0.5A.
And the rules for using the electric spoon only require that it not be washed in the dishwasher, as this can lead to breaking the tight seal of the device and damaging the electrical circuit. But you can wash the spoon with plain water.
The electric spoon should not be used by people who have implanted electrical medical devices, such as pacemakers, or who are prone to seizures. People with lip or tongue piercings are advised to remove jewelry before eating with an electric spoon.
And the Japanese had already invented last spring a technology to simulate electrical tastes produced by the major food company, "Kirin", and put it on the market. However, this device is larger than an electric spoon, and inside it is a power unit and a computer that controls it.
The Japanese conducted a large-scale study to compare the effects of electric current on the one hand and traditional flavors on the other hand. And through tests that included 36 men and women between the ages of 40 and 65, they found that electrical stimulation increased the sensation of salt by about 1.5 times.