Hold the sugar: a Chinese café brand is offering audio sweeteners

Do you really need three sugars with that coffee? Not according to a Chinese café brand, which suggests listening to ‘sweet’ sounds can have the same effect.

Xin Café worked with Beijing Dentsu to develop the Sonic Sweetener, a cup designed to reduce people’s sugar intake by playing sounds that people associate with a sweet taste while they drink.

‘Sonic seasoning’ has gained traction as a concept in recent years. Tests have shown that people associate different sound pitches and even instrument sounds with the four basic tastes.

Sugar consumption is still relatively low in China: according to Euromonitor data from 2015, the average person ingests less than 16 grams per day, compared to a whopping 126 grams in the US (the World Health Organization’s recommended daily intake is 50 grams). But habits are changing, and China has been predicted to become the world’s largest importer of sugar by 2020.

Campaign’s view: Improbable as it seems, the device is supported by science and is an intriguing way to make a relatively unknown brand stand out from the crowd. We suggest that people would do best to learn to appreciate the taste of good coffee or tea without any additives, aural or otherwise. But for those who really can’t handle it, this seems worth a try. It also seems something that US consumers need—urgently.