A connected sensor that can quantify allergens in food within 2 minutes was launched at CES 2021 this week by biochemical company Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech. The new Test Food Allergen Detection System (TADs) stores, analyses, and shares the data with users through a dedicated app.
The app can track users’ records and provide personal diet suggestions. It also serves as a food map that allows consumers to locate gluten-free restaurants and tested products.
“Currently, we want to solve the problem of food safety, especially in the realm of food allergies,” says Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech founder Leo Chen. “Every 3 minutes in the United States, a person is sent to the emergency room due to food-related allergic reactions, and these people spend over $25-billion on healthcare every year.”
Chen says as one of the criteria for using the claim “gluten-free,” the FDA set a limit of less than 20 ppm of gluten. The main point of triggering a food allergy depends on the accumulation of allergen in the body instead of the concentration in a single ingestion. 68% of people shop for gluten-free foods at three or more stores per month, and 55% of people spend 30% or more of their grocery budget on gluten-free foods.
“Compared to other products, our personal quantitative system can truly help people at different levels of food intolerance,” he says.
The TADs app shows the test results of the device, analyses the data using AI modules, and stores the results in the cloud. TADs allows food processors and food ingredient suppliers to control the quality of their products by testing and uploading the latest information within a short time. By analysing customer information through the app, they can also achieve precise marketing. For consumers, TADs enhances product traceability and provides peace of mind when searching for genuinely gluten-free products.
Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech is a biochemical company committed to developing IoT systems for biochemistry examination that integrate electrochemistry, material chemistry, nanotechnology, microelectromechanical systems, IoT, AI model, and clinical medicine.
The company aims to help people manage their health conditions and to improve healthcare systems and IVD technology worldwide. Its initial focus on food allergen detection devices reflects the fact that allergies are a serious issue that threatens people’s lives.
“Cases of allergic reactions caused by food are endless, and it is a vast challenge to make judgments and tests before eating,” says Chen. “Hence, our team was committed to developing the IoT system for on-site food allergen detection. Our detection device is easy for users to carry and provides a faster and more accurate testing experience, fully achieving the vision of our company – being user-friendly.”
The device was selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021.