At CES 2026, one of many most promising health tech devices we noticed was Allergen Alert, a mini lab that may detect gluten and dairy in meals. The one downside is that it is not presently obtainable for buy. Filling that gap available in the market is the NIMA Gluten Sensor, which was relaunched immediately, on Nationwide Gluten-Free Day, and it may be added to your on-line cart now.
That is the second technology of NIMA’s Gluten Sensor, the primary handheld system created to detect gluten in meals for individuals with celiac illness. Nevertheless, this new model is quicker and extra dependable with an upgraded sensor and capsules. This was confirmed in third-party testing carried out by allergen-testing lab BIA Diagnostics, which discovered the system able to detecting all main gluten sources (wheat, barley and rye) right down to the ten ppm stage with 99% accuracy.
NIMA is 99% correct at detecting gluten in meals, in keeping with third-party testing.
The ten ppm stage measurement is important as a result of, in keeping with the Meals and Drug Administration, merchandise labeled as “gluten-free” can nonetheless comprise gluten at levels up to 20 ppm. Meaning NIMA can detect past that threshold. In line with the Nationwide Celiac Affiliation, whereas 20 ppm is considered safe for people with celiac illness, decrease ppm ranges are most popular for meals like baked items and pizza, which individuals might devour in bigger portions.
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How does the NIMA gluten sensor work?
The gluten sensor depends on single-use capsules that perform as a mini automated lab. You place a meals pattern into the capsule and insert it into the system, the place it’s floor, blended and examined with NIMA’s proprietary antibodies. Then, an enhanced digital camera reads the interior check strip’s outcomes and shows them as both a smiley face (indicating the meals comprises no gluten) or a wheat image (you have bought gluten). This course of solely takes 2 to three minutes.Â
A smiley face signifies the meals pattern is gluten-free, whereas the wheat image alerts that gluten is current.
NIMA makes use of USB-C charging, however can carry out as much as 40 assessments per cost. The system additionally connects to the NIMA Now cell app, the place all check outcomes are saved. There, you’ll be able to file protected meals choices, together with eating places and meals that triggered a response, and this data might be shared via a neighborhood database so others stay knowledgeable.
“Individuals with celiac deserve meals that really feel protected, not anxious,” stated Mike Glick, CEO of NIMA Companions, in a press launch.Â
A meals pattern will get positioned right into a capsule, which will get inserted into the NIMA sensor for testing.
The unique NIMA sensor was developed by two MIT graduates in 2013, nevertheless it turned unavailable as a result of pandemic-related provide chain points that made it unattainable to fabricate. In 2025, Peter Kolchinsky, the founder and managing accomplice of RA Capital Administration, and a mother or father of a kid with celiac illness, stepped in to assist deliver NIMA again to the 3 million people across the US who’ve celiac illness, for which a gluten-free weight loss plan is the one remedy.
How a lot does it price?
The NIMA Gluten Sensor retails for $220, however a ten% low cost is presently obtainable with the code NIMAPRE10. The single-use capsules, the place you place the meals you need to check, are offered individually. For a six-pack, the fee is $72 for a one-time order or $61 for a subscription.
In line with a consultant for the model, NIMA was initially designed to detect peanuts. Though it presently solely acknowledges gluten, work is underway within the hopes of increasing the system’s capabilities to check for different meals allergens.Â
