Imogen Adams is a Product Design Engineering student at Brunel University London who is currently developing 'Ally' as a gadget for food that is capable of detecting allergens.
With a growing number of foods labeled as "free from," there are plenty of labels on packaged consumer goods that offer reassurance to shoppers. However, when it comes to eating a restaurant meal, the same level of assurance can not always be provided. Ally makes it possible for a diner to take their health concerns into their own hands and scan a food item for the presence of allergens.
As it stands, Ally currently is only capable of conducting tests for lactose, but there is also a "vegetarian check" in development that is said to be capable of detecting the presence of meat.
Free-From Detection Devices
This Gadget for Food Verifies the Absence of Certain Ingredients
Trend Themes
1. Allergen Detection Gadgets - The development of gadgets like 'Ally' that can detect allergens in food presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the food safety industry.
2. Self-testing Food Products - The rise of self-testing food products allows consumers to take control of their health and verify the absence of certain ingredients, opening up possibilities for disruptive innovation in the food industry.
3. Personalized Food Safety - The creation of personalized devices that can scan and analyze food for allergens and other specific ingredients presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the health and wellness industry.
Industry Implications
1. Food Safety - The development of allergen detection devices like 'Ally' provides disruptive innovation opportunities in the food safety industry.
2. Food Production - The rise of self-testing food products creates disruptive innovation possibilities in the food production industry.
3. Health and Wellness - The emergence of personalized devices for food safety creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in the health and wellness industry.