Portable Food Scanner Checks Your Food’s Authenticity

With the many food and drug scandals scarring the food industry for good, people are uncertain now, more than ever, about how authentic their food really is. In 2013, a study by researchers revealed that 30% of fish sold in restaurants and grocery stores in the U.S. were found to be mislabeled. Around 40% of drugs, and 80% of ingredients in those drugs are made in overseas facilities with no regulations of any kind. Along with this, 50% of fresh fruits, 20% of vegetables and 80% of seafood is imported, with only 2% being monitored by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Stratio, a Korean company, released LinkSquare, a portable spectrometer food tester to analyze molecules in the food we eat. A spectrometer uses spectroscopy, used to scientifically analyze light. Since different food items give off different frequencies of light, this light can be analyzed to determine the molecules present in the item emitting the light.

Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensors in LinkSquare are used to illuminate an object and analyze its effect on the light emitted. The effect is analyzed using optical algorithms to identify the item, the results of which are sent to the smartphone display. SWIR technology has been used in many different ways in the military since a long time.

“Our eyes are the most important tool we have for evaluating the things around us, but looks alone can’t tell you everything. LinkSquare gives you important information you would miss otherwise,” says Jae Hyung Lee, CEO, Stratio.

Founded in 2013 by 4 students of Stanford, each electrical engineering doctorate candidates, Stratio consists of 12 employees and several funding sources, ranging from Startup Chile to Alchemist Accelerator, along with major grants by various organizations. The idea formed when Lee, having a drink, wondered whether the whiskey was pure or not.

“The very next day, I read an article about a group of bars that were in trouble for switching out top-shelf alcohol for lower-end stuff. It made me wonder about the whiskey I had the night before – no one likes to get cheated,” said Lee.

Apart from food, Stratio can scan medicines, materials, products and physical objects. It will be useful for people concerned about their diet, and has medical applications, such as distinguishing between two types of pills which look identical to the naked eye.

Stratio’s LinkSquare is compatible with Android, with iOS support to be added in 2016. It will be featured at the International CES, with pricing expected to be $200.