CES 2026: Pocket-sized lab detects allergens
in food

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week, Allergen Alert introduced the first portable device able to detect allergens or gluten directly in a meal – with laboratory-level precision. 

Unlike barcode scanners or apps attempting to interpret a photo of a dish, this pocket-sized mini-lab relies on a patented, single-use pouch derived from bioMérieux’s laboratory technologies, which miniaturises and automates every step of a professional analytical test. Compact and portable, it enables people with food allergies or celiac disease to test their food autonomously, anywhere.

In the United States, a person is admitted to the ER every 10 seconds due to a food allergy; Allergen Alert says it provides a simple, reliable, and accessible preventive solution to a major public-health challenge. 

Food allergies: an invisible threat at every meal

Food allergies are not a minor inconvenience; they are a growing public-health concern. In the USA, 9% of the population (33-million people) is affected, with an additional 1% living with celiac disease. For these individuals, the fear of a reaction is constant. Beyond the numbers lies a deeper reality: the fear of a mistake, a trace amount, or accidental contact weighs on everyday life and social interactions. Most severe reactions occur outside the home, where people have less control over what is on their plate.

Allergen Alert represents a major breakthrough for people with food allergies or celiac disease. Beyond ingredient lists, labels, and conversations with restaurant staff, it provides users with an additional, innovative layer of protection powered by qualitative data. Anyone can now test their own meal, in real conditions and right before eating, using immunoassay technology that has until now been reserved for professional laboratories.

In practical terms, Allergen Alert is a portable, lightweight, battery-powered device that analyses a calibrated, representative food sample placed inside a single-use pouch. Within minutes, the result clearly indicates whether an allergen or gluten is present.

An innovation born from a personal story

Bénédicte Astier, CEO and founder of Allergen Alert, tells the story behind the device:

“When my daughter Margot went into anaphylactic shock, I experienced what too many families know all too a way to test food anywhere, at any moment. Something concrete, reliable, and immediate that gives back control to people with allergies and those who care for them. 

“That moment of awareness is where Allergen Alert was born: the belief that technology can transform fear into confidence, and allow everyone to enjoy a meal without feeling like they are risking their health at every bite.”

Built on scientific expertise

Allergen Alert is rooted in a robust scientific foundation inherited from bioMérieux, a global leader in diagnostics and a major reference in food safety. It is within this research environment that the core miniaturised technology was developed.

Thanks to the company’s incubation within the InVenture intrapreneurship program, this expertise was transformed into a patented innovation: a sealed, single-use pouch that automates the entire analytical process (sample preparation, protein extraction, migration, detection, and analysis). This “sample-in, result-out” automation ensures reproducible reliability with minimal human intervention.

The mini-lab is being developed in collaboration with allergists, allergy patients and advocacy groups, as well as experts in food safety and the restaurant industry. By making laboratory-grade detection available in minutes, anywhere, Allergen Alert opens a new era of both individual and collective food-safety control.

Thanks to automated sample preparation, future applications could extend well beyond allergens, including broader food analysis, water testing, and environmental monitoring.

How it works

• Collect a food sample
• Insert the single-use pouch into the device
• Press the button to start the analysis… and get a clear result in minutes

Availability 

Allergen Alert’s mini-lab will be available for pre-orders at the end of 2026. In addition to the device, test pouches will be offered at under $10 each or through a subscription plan.