Tried out my new Nima sensor

[icelandgirl]

3 hours ago, cristiana said:

Just name the date girls!

That would be so fun!??

[Ennis-TX]

Just tried out the Nima on some non gluten-free certified hemp protein I got on a good deal. Came back gluten positive, well figured that was to good to be true. Saved me finding  out the hard way.

[kareng]

You might want to read this

 

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[Ennis-TX]

Yeah...sorta had a part in that, jeez feel like a ass. Anyway at least it is not giving false negatives. Rather have it go off on trace amounts then miss a contamination. Though it has caused some unnecessary whistle blowing, really am questioning it a bit more now. 

[Gemini]

I think the NIMA would be best suited for use in restaurants and not so much for pre-packaged foods.  It is also very important to read all directions before using as there are limitations, which are clearly stated, to it's use. 

I never worry about pre-packaged foods because I choose my processed foods wisely. If a company is labeling their food as gluten free, then they must test so they are already doing the testing for you.  The only time I was ever sick from a processed food was in the very beginning and it was a brand that became known for some issues with people getting sick.  After 12 years, knowing what is safe becomes second nature. 

Restaurant food, when traveling, is my only concern.  Again, I choose my places wisely from folks who have vetted these places and reported them on reputable Celiac websites.  I also take into consideration how I am treated when there and answers to questions asked on food prep. You cannot rely on a single source for safety when deciding on whether food is safe to eat.

The NIMA team clearly states that their tester will not work on soy sauce or fermented foods so testing Asian foods will not be reliable.  But with most other types of cuisine, as long as they don't contain some of the ingredients listed as a problem, testing should be straight forward.  No one should have the expectation it will test as well as an ELISA lab test but used as a tool in the total decision making process, it can be a great resource.  I am keeping track of every restaurant meal I test when traveling and whether or not I think it may have been wrong, depending on how I feel the next day. I always know if I have been glutened, which is not very scientific but if the NIMA says safe and I get sick, that will give me some useful information.  I think this device is pretty damn good for a first try and I really think down the road, we will have VERY accurate testing means available to help us dine out more easily.  I think that far more likely to happen than anyone coming up with the cure that they keep touting about. Funny enough...I am not remotely interested in a cure but would like accurate testing for dining out when traveling. That's the only time I worry about a hit.

[kareng]

People miss- using it, testing foods it can't test, cross- contaminating the sample themself, etc.  these are all reasons I don't go by what some random person says tested positive.  Seen it with other testing methods.  

[Ennis-TX]

Yeah I been testing it more, always use a disposable plastic sample fork for loading it. Seems it is very sensitive, will give false positives on certain products, will also clog and error out if there is not enough liquid present in the sample. Has issues with foods high in tannin, acids, bright in colors, or containing vinegar. On the bright side, at least it does not give false negatives, so better safe then sorry with it, just do not use it to go throwing flags around and calling people out. I made this mistake at first trusting it like I did EZ strips. It is less expensive for a reason I guess, still a nice convenient gadget, hoping for a updated version with better accuracy and reliability.

[kareng]

5 minutes ago, Ennis_TX said:

Yeah I been testing it more, always use a disposable plastic sample fork for loading it. Seems it is very sensitive, will give false positives on certain products, will also clog and error out if there is not enough liquid present in the sample. Has issues with foods high in tannin, acids, bright in colors, or containing vinegar. On the bright side, at least it does not give false negatives, so better safe then sorry with it, just do not use it to go throwing flags around and calling people out. I made this mistake at first trusting it like I did EZ strips. It is less expensive for a reason I guess, still a nice convenient gadget, hoping for a updated version with better accuracy and reliability.

I hope, if you posted in various places that a product has gluten,  but it does not, that you have gone back and corrected that.  Making claims like that can cause you legal issues.

[Gemini]

2 hours ago, kareng said:

People miss- using it, testing foods it can't test, cross- contaminating the sample themself, etc.  these are all reasons I don't go by what some random person says tested positive.  Seen it with other testing methods.  

As with the gluten free diet, there is a learning curve to using one of these and you have to read all instructions on its use. 

[Ennis-TX]

17 minutes ago, kareng said:

I hope, if you posted in various places that a product has gluten,  but it does not, that you have gone back and corrected that.  Making claims like that can cause you legal issues.

It was  a bit more of a questioning statement I had where I  mentioned sending it off to get official test done on the forums. I have posted a update on here where I did so. I thankfully held off til the test came back before emailing the company about food poisoning. I only inquired to their production line, where they mentioned they did not certify anything gluten free, as they did process wheat in the facility. I feel like a  ass for assuming that a device like that would be 100% accurate.

[Rob S.]

I would like to point out one thing to everyone on this board: If you purchase the NIMA, the app is NOT required to use it. If you download the app, please know that you are turning over detailed information about your self and your eating habits not only to NIMA  but also to Google and/or Apple.

While NIMA claims to currently anonymize the information, nothing prevents it from changing its position in the future.

Nothing prevents either Google or Apple from using the information as it pleases.

Many people may scoff at my position, but no one can say whether insurance companies or even employers may obtain the information in the future and how they may use it.

[kareng]

Bottom Line: Based on testing done to date by Gluten Free Watchdog, products testing “low gluten” using Nima tested from below the limit of detection of 1 ppm gluten up to 18,963 ppm gluten using the R5 ELISA. Barley flour also tested low gluten. Based on these results it is difficult to assess the meaning or understand the usefulness of a “low gluten” Nima reading.

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[tessa25]

To me, any gluten is unsafe. I use the device to tell me something is bad. A smiley face does not mean to me that something is good. Just a tool in the box.

 

[kareng]

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"t Gluten Free Watchdog we have been testing a wide variety of products with the Nima Sensor. It is very difficult to put the results of testing completed to date into proper context due to the lack of a published validation report on this device. One goal of our testing is to provide recommendations for consumer use of the Nima Sensor. This is proving to be impossible at this time. In the opinion of Gluten Free Watchdog the Nima Sensor was released into the marketplace prematurely. Given the current state of development of this sensor, Gluten Free Watchdog cannot support its use by the gluten-free community at this time."