Kirin Holdings and the Miyashita Laboratory at Meiji University (the Dr. Homei Miyashita Laboratory of the Department of Frontier Media Science, School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences), in a joint research project, have developed a chopsticks-like device that uses electrical stimulation to enhance the taste of low-sodium foods. In clinical trials with people following a low-sodium diet, the use of the special chopsticks was found, in a world-first, to enhance the salty taste perceived when eating low-sodium foods by about 1.5 times. The daily salt intake of Japanese adults is extremely high compared to World Health Organization (WHO) salt intake standards, and this has become a major health and social issue. The joint research has pointed to the possibility of using this enhanced sense of saltiness through electrical stimulation on everyday utensils such as chopsticks, spoons, and tea bowls, thereby increasing the level of taste satisfaction with low-sodium foods.