A Small Device Unveiled at CES Tells You Instantly If There's Gluten in Your Food (No, Really)

If you have a food or gluten allergy, then you know how difficult it can be to trust the food you're eating -- especially when out at a restaurant or travelling. Allergen Alert aims to provide a solution. 

Currently in development and showcased at CES 2026, the pocket-sized lab sounds simple enough to use: take a sample of your food, place it inside the single-use pouch, insert it into the mini lab and press a button to receive your allergen results in just minutes. 

My colleague David Watsky was on the floor to chat with brand reps. Currently, the device is designed to detect gluten and dairy only; however, plans are in place to expand allergen detection capabilities in future iterations. 

Devices aren't yet available for purchase but a rep for the brand says it's already being used in trial by professional chefs to help detect food allergens in food before it leaves the kitchen. 

Allergen Alert can detect food and gluten allergens in a matter of minutes with a single food sample.

David Watsky/CNET

Allergen Alert is a spin-off of bioMérieux, an in vitro diagnostics company that has been working in clinical microbiology, infectious disease testing and, most importantly, food safety since 1963. It was co-developed with allergists and food safety experts for not just people with food allergies, but also restaurants, hotels, caterers, schools, hospitals and travel companies.

Food allergies can be life-threatening, and those who have them often operate with the anxiety that no matter how vigilant they are, they may still end up consuming an allergen. That's why a tool like Allergen Alert could be a game-changer for both individuals with food allergies and the entire food industry, especially since it fits right in your pocket. 

To become an early adopter or receive a promotional demo of Allergen Alert, you can sign up here.