People with serious and potentially deadly food allergies could eat out safely with a handy new tool developed at the University of Guelph, Canada. The device can detect allergens such as peanuts or gluten, allowing diners to learn in just minutes if the foods they’re eating are safe. The wallet-sized device’s technology uses microfluidics and nano-equipment, requiring only a very small sample to test. Not only can it detect the type of allergen but also the concentration.
Reagents in the coated cartridge bind to the toxins and “the allergen starts glowing,” said Suresh Neethirajan, director of the BioNano Laboratory that developed the apparatus. Travelling through a beam of light, a specialized camera picks up the telltale glow in the solution. The device can now test for peanuts and gluten and the researchers are working to expand that to other food allergens, such as shellfish and shrimp and tree nuts. The device also connects with a mobile app, making it easy for the user to access and record the results.
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Food allergy testing device
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