(From left) Professor Miyashita, Mr. KOBAYASHI Keiichi, Chairman of the Board of Technical Management, Japan Techno-Economic Society and Ms. SATO Ai of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
MIYASHITA Homei laboratory wins Selection Committee Special Award of the 12th Technology Management & Innovation Awards for Electric Salt Spoon and an award ceremony was held at Josui-kaikan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo on May 16, 2025.
This award is sponsored by Japan Techno-Economic Society (JATES) and recognizes outstanding examples of innovation that are transforming the world.
The theme of award is Development and commercialization of Electric Salt Spoon and promotion of low-salt. The Spoon is a tableware-type device that uses the power of a weak electric current to enhance the saltiness and umami of low-salt foods, so that you can enjoy meals such as soups and curries with reduced salt content.
MIYASHITA Homei laboratory at Meiji University has developed a unique current waveform that enhances the saltiness of low-salt foods in collaboration with Kirin Holdings Company, Limited. The Electric Salt Spoon, a tableware-type device equipped with this technology, has been sold by Kirin Holdings since 2024.
Excessive salt intake is a national issue, and the device was evaluated for its potential to reduce salt intake and prevent lifestyle-related diseases.
Comment by MIYASHITA Homei, Professor, Department of Frontier Media Science, School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, Meiji University
I am honored to receive the Selection Committee Special Award of the Technology Management & Innovation Awards. I believe that this award is the result of high evaluation of our idea of controlling taste with electricity and our efforts to implement it in society through industry-academia collaboration. In the future, we will continue to work on further improvements and developments, explore new possibilities of electric taste technology, and tackle a wide range of issues related to food and health. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us, including Kirin Holdings, which has continued to take on challenges with us.
This year, Kirin Holdings Company will release its second device, which will include spoon-shaped devices and others, and we would like to do our best to cooperate with them on that as well.
