US tech company Nima has launched a portable gluten sensor that lets consumers to test their food for gluten in minutes, and upload and share their results online.
The device uses a patent-pending blend of chemistry, electrical and mechanical design, simplified into three steps.
To test food, users place a sample into a one-time-use capsule and screw on the cap. The capsule is then inserted into the device. A testing process then takes three minutes. A wheat symbol appears if gluten is detected, and a smile emoticon if the sample has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten.
For gluten-free labelling, the US Food and Drug Administration requires food to have less than 20 ppm of gluten.
Nima has also launched an app for the new device which syncs and shares test results with other users. It aggregates scores for restaurants based on previous test results and reviews.
Community members can rate restaurants based on their accommodation of dietary needs and availability of gluten-free options.
Co-founders Shireen Yates and Scott Sundvor created Nima in 2013 out of personal experience with food restrictions and their desire for food transparency. To date, the company has raised a total of $14 million.
“From our early app data, we are finding that about 30% of foods labelled gluten-free are testing positive for gluten with Nima,” said CEO Yates.
“This data highlights the struggle millions of gluten-free diners face today. We are thrilled to see Nima already helping thousands of people avoid gluten every day, and we are eager to get the sensor into the hands of even more people who need it.”
A Nima starter kit – which includes the sensor, three one-time-use test capsules, a charging cable and carrying pouch – is now available in the US for $279. Subscriptions for capsules in packs of 12 start at $60.
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