French startup Allergen Alert has developed a mini lab device that brings professional-grade analytical testing directly to the dinner table.

According to its developers, Allergen Alert's mini lab is a portable food-testing device that has been designed to detect gluten and other allergens with lab-like precision in roughly 2 minutes.

Source: Allergen Alert

To use the device, a person scoops a small food sample into the patented, single-use pouch and inserts it into the reader. From there, the mini lab automatically extracts and analyzes the proteins while the results will instantly display on the device’s screen or a synced smartphone app.

The team explained that the battery-operated device can be used in a variety of settings from the home to hospitality providers such as restaurants, hotels and caterers. Likewise, the device could be used in institutional settings, such as schools, hospitals and corporate cafeterias, as well as by airlines and cruise lines looking to ensure passenger safety.

Although the device is currently only capable of detecting just one allergen at a time — specifically gluten, dairy and peanuts — Allergen Alert is working to develop “multiplex” pouches that could potentially screen for several triggers at once.