"Restaurants office parties potlucks meals while traveling  theyre a minefield for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity who can suffer from stomach pain and upset swollen joints and other debilitating health problems when they ingest even a little bit of gluten. The maker of a new handheld glutendetecting device hopes to help make eating outside of a glutensensitive individuals https own kitchen safer and easier.  The company SensorLabs has started taking preorders for the device it calls Nima which can test food for gluten and get rapid results said cofounder and chief technology officer Scott Sundvor. Nima is not FDAapproved and its not intended for medical use but the company intends it as a consumer tool to use when dining out Sundvor said. One of the things that we wanted to make sure we distinguish is that we dont see ourselves as a medical device Sundvor told CBS News. So we do not need FDA clearance for the device because we are not using it to diagnose or manage disease. Were simply providing a product to help people know whats in their food and guide their habits.  Glutenfree diners can place a sample of food into a capsule or test pod and then insert the capsule into a black triangular device that basically acts like a mini chemistry test. In about two minutes Sundvor said Nima can tell if the food sample has  parts per million or more of gluten. A smiley face means its OK a frowning face means it doesnt pass muster. As a point of reference the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers who choose to put a gluten free label https on food packaging to meet the same  parts per million of gluten standard.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat barley and rye. People with celiac disease experience an immune reaction when they eat gluten that can lead to intestinal damage and impact the health of other organs if its not managed well. It can cause stomach pain a swollen belly acid reflux diarrhea skin problems and other symptoms.  The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that about  in  Americans has celiac disease but many people dont know they have the condition. Glutensensitive people experience similar symptoms to those with celiac disease and improve when they eliminate gluten from their diets https Nima is triangular and relatively dainty about three and a half inches tall by three inches wide and a little less than an inch thick. Small enough to fit into your pocket along with your keys and mobile phone or a small clutch said Sundvor. Nima was first conceived when Sundvor and company cofounder Shireen Yates met about two years ago and realized they both had gluten intolerance and other food issues.  We met at MIT through mutual friends. She was getting her MBA and Id gotten my engineering degree from there. We had this shared experience Shireen has several food allergies and I also have several food intolerances. We both just had these issues where wed eat out and get sick or feel uncomfortable Sundvor said. Shireen had the idea Why cant I just test my food and figure out whats in it So we started talking about the idea and we researched the market and realized its something we could make happen. It costs  to preorder a tester plus three onetimeuse pods and . for a refill pack of  pods prices will increase later this month according to the companys website. The company plans to deliver the product by the middle of next year after theyve tested it more thoroughly Sundvor. Marilyn Grunzweig Geller chief executive officer of the Celiac Disease Foundation said she is not familiar with the new glutensensing device and was unable to comment on it directly. Certainly an FDAapproved device that could help people determine if they were accidentally ingesting gluten could go a long way to helping people and would be useful. However she adds I would never comment on a device thats not FDAapproved. She said shes anecdotally aware of a number of treatments for celiac disease and has heard of gluten sensors but is skeptical. As for Nima Sundvor said Were doing a huge amount of testing and one thing we want to be sure of before we start shipping is that were . percent accurate. He said they have received Nima prototypes and he and his girlfriend who has celiac disease are already trying it out.  The company also aims to create similar versions that could test for peanut and dairy allergens among other problematic ingredients. A Nima app is in the works too that he says will let users share information about restaurants and log their results."