Nima is coming, and it’s going to allow you to test your food for gluten in 2 minutes or less.
This small, portable sensor will be available for pre-order later this month.
What is Nima?
Nima is a small, portable device that allows you to quickly test your food for gluten. Nima is the first product created by San Francisco-based 6SensorLabs. Shirleen Yates and Scott Sundvor, both MIT alums, created the company out of their shared experiences with food allergies and sensitivities.
Nima is unique because of how quickly it works. There are gluten testers on the market today, but they take upwards of 15-20 minutes to work. Nima takes 2 minutes or less, making it much more practical for consumers.
How Does Nima Work?
Nima works by the user placing a small sample of food into a disposable, one-time use capsule and closing it with a cap. The capsule must then be placed into the sensor and the sensor switch turned on. After a 2 minute waiting period, the sensor display will show a sad face if the food contains gluten, and a happy face if it does not. iPhone users will be able to share their results on the Nima app. The sensor is able to detect if the food contains at least 20 parts per million of gluten, in adherence with current FDA requirements.
Where Can I Buy Nima?
You can pre-order Nima starting on October 20th. The sensors will start shipping in Spring of 2016. If you are interested in purchasing a Nima sensor, visit the company website and join their waitlist. You will get an email informing you of the pre-order process, in addition to any updates and news regarding Nima.
While Nima will be initially available for purchase exclusively through the company website, they plan to expand and sell the sensor at retail locations such as Target and Whole Foods.
How Much Will Nima Cost?
The Nima starter kit, which will include the sensor and three one-time use capsules, can be pre-ordered at the discounted price of $179. After the first five days, the price will increase to $199 until pre-orders are exhausted. You can also order additional one-time capsules in packs of twelve at $47.95. After pre-order, the Nima device will retail at $249.
What’s Next?
The Nima team is currently working on an app available both to those who purchase Nima sensors and those who don’t. Nima users will be able to upload their results, letting others know if certain restaurants and dishes have reliable gluten-free dishes or not. It will also include information on whether certain restaurant staff is knowledgeable and if their gluten-free dishes are tasty or not!
6SensorLabs would also like to develop sensors that will test for peanuts and dairy, as well as other food groups that cause allergic reactions, such as shellfish. They are also brainstorming about other tests for additives, preservatives, GMOs, and bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
How cool is this!! Thank you 6SensorLabs for taking the steps to make it easier for those who need to avoid gluten to test their food for gluten or for mistaken cross-contamination. We can’t wait to get ours!
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