Allergens & Food Safety
While dining out may seem like a normal activity to most, those experiencing severe food allergies often see it as an unnecessary risk. 15 million Americans live with restrictive food allergies, of which 300,000 are hospitalized every year due to accidental exposure*. While some allergens may cause obvious reactions, others can severely damage the body without producing any symptoms. In both cases, food must be carefully analyzed before consumption, and may become a problem in public settings where cross-contamination protocols may be non-existant.
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* Food Allergy Research & Education (2016)
Gluten & Celiac
One of the most prevalent, yet poorly understood diet-restrictions is caused by celiac disease. Those affected will sustain intestinal damage after eating grains containing gluten. These grains include wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Common symptoms include abdominal pain lasting days, however many patients experience no symptoms and may go undiagnosed for decades. Long term effects include lactose intolerance, malnutrition, and an increased likelihood of cancer. While a true gluten-free diet might rid celiacs of long-term problems, accidental exposure from cross-contamination occurs frequently.
FDA standards deem food products as “gluten-free” if kept under 20 parts per million (ppm). However, some patients are far more sensitive and can experience significant damage at smaller amounts. Clearly, there must be a way to accurately tell a patient how much gluten there is in any food or beverage to meet their individual needs.
What We Do
At KAMP-G Technologies™, we seek to improve food safety with our innovative technologies and are addressing gluten intolerance. We are developing a mobile device, The Glutector ©, capable of taking in a small food sample and calculating the amount of gluten present. The device will be hooked up to a smartphone’s camera where an app will tell the user a ppm value. Results will be delivered in under 2 minutes and cost under $2.00 per test. With our device, we hope to increase food safety for those with gluten intolerances and apply this technology to other allergens. Find out more here.