Every ten seconds, a person in the U.S. goes to the emergency room because of a food allergy. For the 33 million people living with these allergies, eating at a restaurant comes with risk. Most severe reactions happen away from home, where people can’t see how their food is being prepared.

A startup called Allergen Alert is trying to flip the script. The company developed a portable device that functions like a miniature laboratory. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket, but it’s designed to find allergens or gluten in a meal with high precision. The device will be showcased at CES 2026.

Most people currently rely on apps that scan barcodes or photos of a dish. However, this often comes with problems. For example, those tools can’t tell if a kitchen accidentally used the same spoon for two different ingredients. This new device actually tests the food on the plate.

A Pocket-Sized Safety Belt for Food Allergies

To work, users must take a small sample of their meal and put it into a single-use pouch. Then, the device runs a professional test that once required a full laboratory. According to the company, users get a clear result in a few minutes. Ultimately, this helps people with an allergy decide if a meal is actually safe to eat before taking a bite.

The technology comes from a serious scientific background. It was developed using expertise from bioMérieux, a big name in food safety. But the inspiration was personal.

“When my daughter Margot went into anaphylactic shock, I experienced what too many families know all too well: the fear that life can change because of a single meal,” said Bénédicte Astier, CEO and founder of Allergen Alert. “I realized we needed an extra safety belt; 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.”

Allergen Alert plans to open pre-orders by the end of 2026. The device is expected to be portable and battery-powered, with test pouches costing under $10 each.