VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United States, have developed a gluten detector called ‘Nima’, that can determine if there is as little as 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten in food. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), any food or beverage containing 20ppm of gluten or less is considered gluten-free. Using these parameters, Nima displays a smiley or sad face for the owner to have a guarantee that their food is acceptably gluten-free.

To determine the amount of gluten in a given meal or beverage, pea-sized samples are placed in the Nima sensor’s disposable capsule. The user then screws on the top and inserts the capsule into the device. The food mixes into a solution that can detect gluten. In just two or three minutes, the hungry or thirsty person will know if they can eat or drink what has been offered. The solution is an immunoassay containing antibodies highly sensitive to gluten molecules.

The antibodies bond to gluten and change the color of the immunoassay. The color change is captured by an optical reader and allows the sensor to display whether gluten content is acceptable or not with a smile or a frown. There is also an app developed that sends test results automatically to record information about where and what users ate and whether the food contained gluten. That way, repeating the test when the diner returns may not be necessary, unless the restaurant decides to cook their food differently.