Detecting Allergens with Portable Food Sensors: A Step Toward Safer Dining

By Ankit SinghReviewed by Frances BriggsJul 3 2025

Millions with food allergies face hidden risks when dining out. Now, portable sensors promise instant detection of allergens at the table, offering reassurance, although questions over cost, accuracy, and regulation still remain.

Image Credit: Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock.com

For the estimated 32 million Americans living with food allergies, including 5.6 million children, eating out can feel like a gamble. Even a trace of peanuts, soy, or shellfish can lead to reactions like hives, digestive issues, or even life-threatening anaphylaxis. Despite tougher labelling laws and greater awareness, accidents are still prevalent. In the UK, research shows nearly six in ten food-related anaphylactic hospitalisations happen in restaurants, often because of hidden ingredients or cross-contamination in kitchens.^1,2

This ongoing risk has inspired a new generation of pocket-sized food allergen sensors. These devices give diners real-time, on-the-spot answers about what’s in their food, moving allergy management away from simply trusting labels and staff assurances towards direct, personalised testing.

The Hidden Dangers on the Plate

In modern kitchens, allergens can creep into meals despite the best efforts from staff. European rules require restaurants to disclose 14 major allergens, but many still fall short. A recent study in MDPI Nutrients found only 28 % of restaurants properly labeled allergens on menus, and staff often lacked adequate knowledge.²

One problem is cross-contact, when allergens are unintentionally transferred to dishes through shared fryers, chopping boards, or utensils. Processed foods such as sauces and baked goods can also conceal hard-to-spot allergens. For diners with severe allergies, checking an ingredient list or asking a waiter simply isn’t enough to guarantee their safety.^2,3

The Limits of Conventional Detection

Reliable allergen testing has been conducted in laboratories for years. The gold standard techniques used are ELISA, which detects allergenic proteins through antibody-antigen reactions, and PCR, which identifies allergen-specific DNA sequences. Both are sensitive and trusted, but neither is fast: samples can take hours or days to process, requiring trained personnel and specialist equipment.^4,5

ELISA also often struggles to detect denatured proteins found in cooked food. PCR cannot detect allergens that don’t contain DNA, and can also fail if the DNA degrades during cooking. Lateral flow devices, simple strips similar to pregnancy tests, are easier to use but less reliable in complex food types like sauces because their results are easily distorted.

For diners in a restaurant, these testing methods are just not viable.³

How Portable Sensors Work

Portable allergen sensors shrink the principles of these laboratory techniques into something you can carry in your pocket. They are designed using three key components. 

First are biorecognition elements—molecules engineered to bind to specific allergens. They can be antibodies, aptamers, or molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs).

Antibodies are widely used, as they offer high specificity, though they can be fragile and expensive. Aptamers, synthetic DNA or RNA strands, are cheaper and more robust. MIPs are plastic-like materials moulded to fit allergen molecules, which are durable and resistant to heat and acidity.^3,6

Another key component is transducers, which convert the physical binding event into a measurable signal.

Electrochemical transducers detect electrical current, potential, or conductivity changes when they bind with an allergen. Optical transducers analyze changes in light absorption, fluorescence, or surface plasmon resonance. Many newer designs use a smartphone camera as an optical transducer, reading colour changes on test strips or chips.^4,6

Finally, signal processing and readout components filter noise in the retrieved data. Embedded microprocessors amplify the transducer signal by filtering out noise and providing a clear output to users. This output can be simple icons indicating detection status, semi-quantitative levels such as parts per million (ppm), or warning messages.⁶

One example is the Allergy Amulet platform, which combines MIP-based electrochemical sensors with a discreet reader. A study published in Scientific Reports found that the sensor reliably detected soy in 42 different foods using a chemical marker called genistein. It outperformed traditional strip tests when assessing complex dishes.

What’s on the Market?

Several types of portable sensors are now available or in development:

Smartphone-integrated systems use a phone’s camera and processor to analyse samples on test strips or microfluidic chips, sometimes even geo-tagging the result to help other diners find allergen-safe restaurants. They use the phone's camera, flash, and computing capabilities to carry out food analysis.⁴ 

Handheld electrochemical sensors, resembling glucometers, use disposable strips and provide digital readouts within minutes. They are reliable enough for professional kitchens as well as personal use.³

Optical readers and multiplex platforms use more advanced techniques to detect allergens. Some rely on simple colorimetry, while more advanced models use fluorescence or surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Multiplex systems use chips imprinted with different recognition molecules and advanced signal processing to simultaneously test for peanuts, milk, and eggs.^4,5,6

Building Confidence and Trust

The main benefit of these devices for diners is peace of mind. On-the-spot verification of allergens in a dish helps to relieve anxiety and provides reassurance for parents of allergic children.^2,7

Restaurants can also use these devices to check for cross-contact in their kitchens, improving compliance and reducing liability. Manufacturers gain greater transparency over their supply chains using these sensors, and GPS-enabled apps can help researchers and public health officials track trends in allergen exposure.^3,4

Why Adoption is Still Limited

Some challenges remain before these sensors can be widely adopted. Matching laboratory-grade sensitivity and specificity in such compact devices is technically demanding, and many sensors are still expensive, making them inaccessible to most individuals and small restaurants. This is despite predictions of their market value reaching $140 million by 2028.^6,8 

Regulation is another issue, as standards for allergen sensors are still evolving and are often unclear. Devices must also be intuitive and straightforward enough to use without special training, and the molecular components must remain stable over time to ensure their reliability.^6,7,8 

Without addressing these issues, consumer trust and widespread adoption will remain limited.

Download your PDF copy now!

Looking Ahead

Researchers are already working on finding ways around these challenges and advancing allergen detection even further. New bioreceptors such as peptide aptamers and nanobodies promise greater stability at lower cost. Adding artificial intelligence and linking devices via the Internet of Things could help interpret signals more accurately, filter out interference from complex food types, and even recommend allergen-safe dining spots in real time.⁶

Incorporating nanomaterials like graphene and gold nanoparticles is another possibility for making sensors more sensitive and capable of detecting even trace amounts of allergens. Noninvasive sampling, such as swabs or breath tests, could make testing even more convenient.^{​​​​​​​3,5,6}

For now, the technology remains a work in progress. But as devices become more refined, affordable, and easy to use, they could help make dining out a safer, more relaxing experience for millions of people with food allergies.

References and Further Reading

1. Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis - Food Allergy Basics. FAACT. https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/food-allergy-and-anaphylaxis/food-allergy-basics/food-allergy-basics/
2. Konstantinou, G. N. et al. (2024). Managing Food Allergies in Dining Establishments: Challenges and Innovative Solutions. Nutrients, 17(10), 1737. DOI:10.3390/nu17101737. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/10/1737
3. Sundhoro, M. et al. (2021). Rapid and accurate electrochemical sensor for food allergen detection in complex foods. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-9. DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-00241-6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00241-6
4. S Ross, G. M. et al. (2018). Consumer-friendly food allergen detection: Moving towards smartphone-based immunoassays. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 410(22), 5353. DOI:10.1007/s00216-018-0989-7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-018-0989-7
5. Zhu, D. et al. (2024). Recent progresses on emerging biosensing technologies and portable analytical devices for detection of food allergens. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 148, 104485. DOI:10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104485. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224424001614
6. Nath, S. (2024). Advancements in food quality monitoring: integrating biosensors for precision detection. Sustainable Food Technology. DOI:10.1039/d4fb00094c. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2024/fb/d4fb00094c
7. Mandracchia, F. et al. (2020). Mobile Phone Apps for Food Allergies or Intolerances in App Stores: Systematic Search and Quality Assessment Using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 8(9), e18339. DOI:10.2196/18339. https://mhealth.jmir.org/2020/9/e18339/
8. Portable Food Allergen Sensor Market – Global Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028. (2021). Market Research Business Consulting and Strategy Planning Firm | Data Bridge Market Research Private Ltd. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-portable-food-allergen-sensor-market​​​​​​​

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.