If you have a dairy or gluten allergy, then you know how difficult it is to trust the food you’re eating, especially when you’re out at a restaurant or traveling. Allergen Alert could provide a solution through a fast and portable mini lab.

Currently in development and showcased at CES 2026, the small device 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. You’ll receive your allergen results in just minutes. Currently, the device is designed to detect gluten and dairy only. Plans are in place to expand allergen detection capabilities in future iterations.

My colleague, David Watsky, was on the floor at the big tech event chatting with brand representatives. The devices aren’t yet available for purchase, but a representative says they’re already being used in trials by professional chefs to help detect allergens in food before it leaves the kitchen.