Device Lets You Know What's in Your Food Before You Buy or Eat It
Rahul Kalvapalle — February 21, 2014 — Lifestyle
Toronto-based biotechnology firm TellSpec is developing the first handheld gadget that can analyze the nutritional and chemical composition of food.
The technology behind the TellSpec scanner is mighty impressive. The instrument beams a low-powered laser into a chosen food product, causing the food to emit photons back. The scanner then analyzes these photons and sends their profile to a cloud-based analysis engine. The engine then runs all the information through a cloud-based algorithm.
The end result is information about nutrients, chemicals, allergens and calories downloaded and displayed on your smartphone. The TellSpec can scan food through plastic, so it can be used by shoppers in the supermarket.
Sounds like the perfect gadget for anyone looking to watch their calories, go easy on the sodium or avoid that gluten.
The technology behind the TellSpec scanner is mighty impressive. The instrument beams a low-powered laser into a chosen food product, causing the food to emit photons back. The scanner then analyzes these photons and sends their profile to a cloud-based analysis engine. The engine then runs all the information through a cloud-based algorithm.
The end result is information about nutrients, chemicals, allergens and calories downloaded and displayed on your smartphone. The TellSpec can scan food through plastic, so it can be used by shoppers in the supermarket.
Sounds like the perfect gadget for anyone looking to watch their calories, go easy on the sodium or avoid that gluten.
Trend Themes
1. Personalized Nutrition - The development of handheld food scanners like the TellSpec offers an opportunity to cater to individual dietary needs and preferences, allowing for personalized nutrition.
2. Transparency in Food Industry - Handheld scanners that provide detailed information about the nutritional and chemical composition of food promote transparency in the food industry, giving consumers the power to make informed choices.
3. Internet of Things in Food - The integration of handheld food scanners with cloud-based analysis engines and smartphone applications highlights the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) in revolutionizing the way we interact with food.
Industry Implications
1. Health and Wellness - The development of handheld food scanners presents opportunities for the health and wellness industry to leverage technology and provide consumers with personalized dietary information.
2. Retail - Handheld scanners that can analyze food composition in real-time offer opportunities for the retail industry to enhance the shopping experience and provide customers with accurate information, promoting trust and loyalty.
3. Food Technology - The advancements in handheld food scanning technology open up possibilities for the food technology industry to improve food safety measures, ingredient labeling, and product development.
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