소금 수저, 기린홀딩스, CES, The Electric Salt Spoon, Kirin Holdings

 

9일(현지시각) 세계 최대 가전·정보통신(IT) 전시회 ‘시이에스(CES) 2025’에서 화제가 된 ‘소금 수저’(The Electric Salt Spoon)를 보러 일본 식품업체 기린홀딩스의 전시관을 찾았다. 소금 수저는 기린이 지난해 5월 일본에서 판매를 시작한 저염식단용 수저다. 고혈압·비만 등의 질병을 앓고 있는 환자를 위해 개발됐다.

소금 수저는 음식에 미세한 전류를 흘려 나트륨과 이온을 자극해, 혀 쪽으로 끌어당기는 방식으로 작동된다. 이렇게 되면 짠맛을 비교적 잘 느낄 수 있다고 한다. 전시관에서 만난 기린 직원은 “개인마다 체감 수준은 다를 수 있지만 대체로 평소보다 소금을 30% 덜 넣어도 짠맛을 느낄 수 있다”고 했다. 가격은 2만엔이다. 저렴하지 않지만 저염식을 ‘반드시 해야 하는’ 환자들에겐 솔깃할만 한 제품이다.

He visited the exhibition hall of Kirin Holdings, a Japanese food company, to see The Electric Salt Spoon, which became a hot topic at CES 2025, the world's largest consumer electronics and information communication (IT) exhibition, on Tuesday (local time). Salt spoons are cutlery for low-salt diet that Kirin started selling in Japan in May last year. They were developed for patients suffering from diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity.

Salt spoons are operated by sending microcurrents to food, stimulating sodium and ions, and pulling them towards the tongue. Then, people can taste the salty taste relatively well. "Individuals may experience different levels of salt, but people can taste the salty taste even if they add 30 percent less salt than usual," said a staff member at the exhibition hall. The price is 20,000 yen. Though not cheap, the product is tempting for patients who "must" eat low-salt meals.