A spoon that makes food taste saltier is available in Japan.
A spoon that makes food saltier is up for sale
The utensil is targeted at those who are struggling to reduce their salt intake and researchers are convinced that it will promote healthy eating.
Excess salt intake is linked to increased cases of high blood pressure and strokes and consumption in Japan is more than double the World Health Organisation's recommended 10g daily intake.
The battery-operated spoon is manufactured by the company Kirin and works by passing a small electric current through the tip of the device to concentrate sodium ion molecules on the tongue.
This enhances the perceived saltiness of the food by one and a half times, according to the manufacturers.
Kirin researcher Ai Sato said: "Japan has a food culture that tends to favour salty flavours.
"Japanese people as a whole need to reduce the amount of salt intake but it can be difficult to move away from what we're used to eating.
"That's what led us to develop this electric spoon."