Using Nima to Test for Spotty Cross Contact with Gluten
11
Jan
2017
Comments (8)
Thank you for the well-researched and clearly explained Nima reports. They confirm our family’s suspicion that, in addition to being expensive, the Nima offers no real-life practical benefit. I keep wondering what the developers had in mind when they came up with the idea.
You are most welcome, Melody. In my opinion, the Nima may be very useful under certain conditions. But we need to determine those conditions and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of this device. The Nima team really must release a validation report on this device as soon as possible.
Thanks, Tricia! Great explanation! The You Tube videos are an important addition. Your cutting-edge work continues to be a vital contribution to the health and safety of the gluten free community. You are loved by many. Keep it up!
Kevin, you are so sweet! Thanks for taking the time to comment on the videos. You made my day.
I just stopped by to catch up on a few things. I just want to say thank you for all you are doing. I’ve been a subscriber just a few months (7) now. Thank you!
My pleasure, Michelle. Thanks so much for your support of Gluten Free Watchdog!
Great video and explanation! I have celiac disease but no digestive symptoms. I recently bought a Nima sensor and quickly learned I’ve been getting exposed to gluten regularly at restaurants I considered celiac-safe. While what you describe could lead to false negatives, i.e., missing non-homogeneous cross-contamination, my Nima has already paid for itself by alerting me to unexpected gluten on three separate occasions. Your video has me wondering how I might create a more homogeneous sample when dining out.
I just subscribed to your website today and am already happy I did – thank you!
Hi Christy, Thanks so much for subscribing to GFWD. We’ve evaluated the Nima Sensor quite extensively. Please also see https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-free-watchdogs-updated-position-statement-on-the-nima-sensor-for-gluten/ and https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/morning-musings-about-testing-food-for-gluten-the-nima-sensor/. You will quickly see that I am not a fan of this sensor. That said, if you find comfort using it, then that is all that matters. Homogenizing a sample before inserting a pea-size amount into a cartridge may be difficult. Ideally, you would have to take your meal and put it in a blender before testing which obviously is neither practical nor appealing. When testing is done at a lab using a fully validated assay, approximately 50 grams to 200 grams of product is homogenized/ground to hopefully evenly distribute any gluten in the sample. You may be interested in the testing done recently on an item from PF Chang’s. See https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/product/pf-changs-changs-lettuce-wrapsgluten-free-menu/832. For a photo of a homogenized restaurant menu item see https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-free-watchdog-now-testing-restaurant-menu-items-for-gluten/