Equipment & Technology

TFT Sensor Capable of Quantifying Food Allergens in Under Two Minutes

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The biochemical company Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech (TFT) reports that it has developed the Test Food Allergen Detection System (TADs), a connected sensor that can quantify allergens in food less than two minutes and store, analyze, and share that data with users through the dedicated app.

The medical-level detection technology 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.

“We want to solve the problem of food safety, especially in the realm of food allergies. Why? Because every three minutes in the United States alone, a person is sent to hospital emergency rooms due to food-related allergic reactions, and these people spend over $25 billion on healthcare every year,” said Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech Founder Leo Chen.

Chen noted that 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. An estimated 68% of consumers in the USA 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,” said Chen.

Quick and Easy Data Analysis Using AI Modules

The TADs app shows the test results of the device, analyzes 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 analyzing customer information through the app, they can also make precise marketing claims. 

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. Aiming 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. 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 user-friendly vision of our company,” Chen said.

Taiwan User-Friendly Sensor & Tech has received numerous awards in the last few years. It won the Longterm Cheers Gold Award and National Innovation Award in 2018 and the Economic Daily News Startup Star Honorable Mention Award, FutureTech Demo and Breakthrough Award, Taiwan Innotech Expo Platinum Award, and National Innovation Award in 2019. In addition, this life-saving device was selected by Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) as one of the 100 featured Taiwanese startups showcased at CES 2021, an all-digital consumer technology running event running January 11-14.