- A new smartphone-assisted test called LEO helps people who avoid gluten — an estimated 1% with celiac disease and another 6% with sensitivities — quickly screen foods.
- Using as little as 20 milligrams of a sample on a lateral-flow strip, LEO provides a visual result in about two minutes, with an optional app image that refines the estimate in one minute.
- The system detected gliadin at 5 ppm with 98% accuracy — beating the FDA labeling threshold — and identified cross-contamination in restaurant foods labeled “gluten-free.”
About 1% of the United States population has celiac disease, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It explained that when people with celiac disease consume foods containing gluten, it can trigger an “autoimmune response that damages the small intestine and can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms, poor growth, and long-term problems, like anemia, osteoporosis, and even lymphoma.” While those with celiac certainly experience more severe symptoms, an additional 6% of the population might also have a gluten sensitivity, making them feel unwell when they consume gluten products, too. That means several million people across the country do all they can to avoid it in food and drinks. But now, scientists have developed something new to make that job a lot easier.
In September, researchers published a paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry detailing their new gluten detection device, which could help millions of people avoid gluten with ease — and at a very low price.
The team, which included scientists from Taipei Medical University, named their device LEO, short for Lateral flow Enhanced by Optical imaging, and it works much like a high-tech home pregnancy or COVID-19 test that includes its own smartphone app, LEOMyFood.
Here’s how the LEO test works: A diner takes a small crumb of food, as little as 20 milligrams, and places it into a small vial. They then add a few drops of liquid, similar to how one swabs their nose for at-home COVID-19 testing. Next, users put a few drops of the solution onto a test strip that detects gliadin, the gluten protein that triggers reactions in individuals with celiac disease. The test strip has three lines: one serves as a baseline, while the second and third lines detect lower and higher gluten levels, respectively. The entire process takes about two minutes. If users are unsure of the results, they can take a photo and upload it to the companion app, which provides a more detailed analysis within one minute.
In their lab tests, the team found that the LEO system accurately identified gluten levels as low as 5 ppm, meaning it outperforms the Food and Drug Administration’s labeling threshold and detects gliadin with “98% accuracy.”
They also tested the strips in real-world scenarios, including evaluating everyday restaurant meals and packaged snacks. They discovered that cross-contamination often happens in restaurants, especially when food is prepared in shared fryers and mixing bowls. The LEO device also successfully detected gluten traces in restaurant foods mislabeled as “gluten-free,” including fries and salads that had likely been exposed to cross-contamination during preparation.
Here’s the best news about this scientific breakthrough: It’s already available for purchase. Anyone can buy a sample pack of three for $35 or a jumbo pack of 40 for $250, making each one $6.25 on the LEO Verified site. However, the team hopes to bring these prices down eventually. “Our goal is to get it to them at the most reasonable price,” Seaton Smith, a cofounder of LEO Verification Systems, shared with Powell Tribune earlier this year. “Because as a celiac, my breads cost twice as much as yours and tastes twice as terrible.”
The team noted in their study that while the strips are currently designed for gluten testing, they could be adapted with minor modifications to detect other common food allergens, such as peanuts, shellfish, and dairy, in the future. That way, everyone can enjoy a stress-free meal.
