[5] The company plans to eventually expand its technology to detect other allergens, such as dairy and tree nuts.
[6] Nima uses antibody based chemistry to detect proteins in food at the parts per million level for both gluten and peanut.
Nima reports above 97% accuracy when comparing the performance of gluten and peanut detection to the leading food diagnostic lab ELISA tests for traces of gluten at the range of 20ppm and above in food samples and peanut at the range of 10ppm and above.
The foods were deliberately chosen to represent the wide range of products that might be available as gluten-free options.
In our opinion, use of the Nima device will protect the health of gluten-sensitive consumers, if properly used on foods with reasonably uniform gluten distribution.
Use of this product should not replace education, medical advice, compliance with food labeling and adherence to avoidance strategies.
[14] The majority of Nima users use Nima when eating out at restaurants and testing samples of food that may be higher risk for cross-contamination, such as shared fryers, gluten-free pizzas cooked in pizza ovens with non-gluten items, sauces, and marinades.
A study by the Columbia Celiac Disease Center analyzed thousands of Nima user test results and found that gluten was present in one out of three gluten-free labelled dishes in restaurants.
[12] Generally, Nima has been positively received in the marketplace, with recognition by top publications, including Time magazine's Best Inventions[15] and Popular Science's 12 Most Important Health Innovations of the Year.