The Aquarius: A Seasoning Controller for Better Health

The Aquarius is a speculative seasoning controller designed to curb salt and oil overuse for better health. The precise bottle design allows the user to only pour out the recommended daily amount—not a drop more.

"I noticed that the flavor of this dish began gradually changing, becoming much saltier than before. I discovered that my father was adding more and more salt with each passing year."

First-year student Gaoming Lyu says her product design started with a traditional Chinese recipe, the tomato scrambled egg. "It's a favorite dish that my parents often cooked during my childhood," she explains. "I noticed that the flavor of this dish began gradually changing, becoming much saltier than before. I discovered that my father was adding more and more salt with each passing year." This experience in her family's kitchen attracted Gaoming's attention to how people's tastes become heavier as they age—a significant issue as salt intake in China is confirmed to be among the highest in the world.

According to research from the Queen Mary University of London, China's salt intake is confirmed to be the highest in the world. Over the past four decades, adults consume on average above 10 grams of salt a day, more than twice the recommended limit. Gaoming found that it is the same for oil consumption in China—it reached an estimated usage of 13.7 million metric tons in 2019. “These statistics are driven by population growth, followed by the increased urbanization and improved standards of living,” Gaoming explains. Based on the vast demand, China is now the world's largest consumer, the second-largest producer, and the second-largest importer of edible oils. With 430 million households each year, there will be over three-million tons of oil waste. Meanwhile, as oil and salt consumption has grown, rates of obesity, cancer, and diabetes—among other chronic illnesses—have surged to unprecedented levels. 

"The product name was inspired by the sign of the zodiac with the recognizable figure carrying a vessel and letting the liquid flow freely from it. The controller I designed is also a bottle pouring seasoning out—
but with much more self-restraint!"

As part of her research, Gaoming studied the flavor controllers currently available on the market. These existing controllers release a certain amount of content when you press the button to control unnecessary seasoning usage. A downside to this model is that it's still easy for the user to push several times and overuse. “With the Aquarius, you can be sure that you won’t over do it.” Gaoming explains. "The product name was inspired by the sign of the zodiac with the recognizable figure carrying a vessel and letting the liquid flow freely from it. The controller I designed is also a bottle pouring seasoning out—but with much more self-restraint!"

Gaoming says the benefit of her product design is simple: "If one could stick to this principle and keep using the Aquarius for over a year, the chances of getting chronic illnesses and other related diseases would drop significantly." She speculates that it would reduce the risk of heart disease by 14%.

Gaoming designed the Aquarius during the first-semester course, Design for Sustainability and Resilience, taught by Suma Reddy. "The class made me more aware of how resources can be used and recycled to benefit people and the planet," Gaoming shares of her experience.