>>> THIS MORNING, THE NEW DEVICE THAT COULD VERY WELL SAVE YOUR
LIFE IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WITH A
FOOD ALLERGY.
FOOD ALLERGY. >> JEFF ROSSEN IS HERE TO SHOW
US HOW IT WORKS.
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU, LIFE
WITH A PEANUT ALLERGY IS NOT
EASY AT ALL.
EVERY PIECE OF FOOD YOU EAT,
THEY’RE CONSTANTLY CHECKING FOOD
LABELS.
LABELS. WHEN EATING OUT YOU HAVE TO ASK
THE WAITERS ARE THERE PEANUTS IN
THAT DISH, AND IF YOUR CHILD HAS
THE ALLERGY YOU HAVE TO MONITOR
THEM NONSTOP, TOO, IF YOU DON’T
IT CAN BE DEADLY.
NOW THERE’S A NEW DEVICE ON THE
MARKET THAT SAYS IT CAN TEST FOR
PEANUTS IN FOOD.
THIS COULD BE A HUGE HELP TO
MILLIONS OF YOU IF IT WORKS.
SO THIS MORNING WE’RE TRYING IT
OUT.
OUT. >> THE HEADLINES ARE
FRIGHTENING.
FRIGHTENING. THIS 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL WITH A
PEANUT ALLERGY DIED AFTER
ACCIDENTALLY EATING A COOKIE
WITH PEANUT BUTTER IN IT AT A
FRIEND’S HOUSE.
FRIEND’S HOUSE. SHE DIDN’T SEE THE LABEL HIDING
UNDER THE ALREADY OPEN PACKAGE.
BUT NOW THIS NEW DEVICE, THE
NIMA PEANUT SENSOR THAT’S
DESIGNED TO AVOID MISTAKES.
THE MAKERS SAY IT CAN DETECT
PEANUTS IN FOOD WHETHER YOU’RE
AT A RESTAURANT OR AT HOME, BUT
DOES IT REALLY WORK?
TO SHOW YOU WE’VE COME HERE TO
THE BAKERY IN L.A.
THEY’RE GOING TO BAKE NEME TWO
SEPARATE CAKES.
SEPARATE CAKES. CAKE NUMBER ONE IS GOING TO BE
MADE WITH PEANUTS.
THE PEANUTS WILL BE GROUND UP
AND INSIDED THE BATTER.
THE OTHER CAKE WON’T BE BAKED
WITH ANY PEANUTS AT ALL.
WE’RE GOING TO SEE IF THIS
POCKET-SIZED SENSOR.
POCKET-SIZED SENSOR. IT DOES FIT RIGHT INSIDE YOUR
POCKET.
POCKET. WE’RE GOING TO SEE IF THIS
SENSOR CAN TELL WHICH CAKE IS
WHICH.
WHICH. LET’S HEAD TO THE KITCHEN.
>> THE BAKER GETS CRACKING,
WHISKING, AND MIXING, MAKING
SURE TO KEEP ONE BATCH FAR AWAY
FROM THE PEANUTS.
THE OTHER HAS THEM IN.
AFTER BOTH CAKES GET FROSTED AND
DECORATED, IT’S TIME TO BRING IN
THE SENSOR.
THE SENSOR. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. HERE WE GO.
THESE ARE THE TWO CAKES.
THIS ONE DOES NOT HAVE PEANUTS
IN IT.
IN IT. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE DOES HAVE
THE PEANUTS IN IT.
WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE
INSTRUCTIONS.
INSTRUCTIONS. I’M GOING TO CUT RIGHT INTO THE
CAKE LIKE THIS.
NOW, I’M GOING TO TAKE A PIECE
OF THE KNIFE.
I’M GOING TO GET IN HERE.
YOU JUST WANT A TINY LITTLE
PIECE, PEA-SIZED IT SAYS IN THE
INSTRUCTION.
INSTRUCTION. PEA SIZED PIECE JUST LIKE THIS.
YOU PUT IT INTO THE TEST CAPSULE
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. THAT’S IT.
THAT’S IT. THEN YOU TWIST THIS ON LIKE
THIS.
THIS. MAKE SURE IT SNAPS.
GOT IT.
GOT IT. THEN WE’RE GOING TO PUT IT RIGHT
INTO THE TESTER LIKE THAT.
HIT START, AND IT’S TESTING FOR
PEANUTS.
PEANUTS. LET’S SEE.
LET’S SEE. >> IT GRINDS AND MIXES THE FOOD
INSIDE THE SENSOR AND IN A FEW
MINUTES, THERE IT IS, A SMILEY
FACE, WHICH MEANS THERE ARE NO
PEANUTS IN THIS CAKE.
IT WORKED.
IT WORKED. NOW LET’S SEE IF IT CAN SPOT THE
PEANUTS IN THE CAKE WITH THE
PEANUTS.
PEANUTS. I FOLLOW THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS,
PUTTING A SAMPLE INTO THE TESTER
AND WAITING FOR THE RESULTS, AND
THERE IT IS, A PICTURE OF A
PEANUT.
PEANUT. IT SAYS PEANUT FOUND.
VERY SIMPLE.
VERY SIMPLE. IF YOU HAD A CHILD WITH A NUT
ALLERGY YOU WOULD KNOW IT CAN’T
EAT THIS CAKE.
>> WILL IT WORK ON PREPACKAGED
FOODS YOU BUY AT THE GROCERY
STORE AND BRING HOME?
>> WE BROUGHT GRANOLA BARS.
THERE ARE NO PEANUTS IN THESE
GRANOLA BARS.
GRANOLA BARS. OVER HERE WE HAVE PEANUT BUTTER
CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS.
I TAKE A SAMPLE OF EACH AND RUN
THEM THROUGH THE SENSOR.
NO PEANUTS IN THE NO PEANUT
GRANOLA BARS.
GRANOLA BARS. THE SENSOR EVEN GOES A STEP
FURTHER SAYING IT CAN DETECT
TRACE AMOUNTS OF PEANUTS.
LIKE A RANDOM RAISIN IN A BOWL
OF TRAIL MIX.
I RUN IT ONE MORE TIME WITH A
RAISIN.
RAISIN. >> CAN YOU HEAR THAT?
BRING THE MIC IN.
COME ON IN HERE.
YOU CAN HEAR IT.
IT’S LIKE CHURNING UP THE RAISIN
RAISIN.
RAISIN. >> AND THEN THE RESULTS.
WOW, THERE IT IS, THE PICTURE OF
THE PEANUT, PEANUT FOUND ON THAT
LITTLE RAISIN IN A BOWL OF TRAIL
MIX.
MIX. FIVE OF FIVE TIMES THE SENSOR
NAILED IT.
NAILED IT. CRAZY.
CRAZY. >> THE SENSOR IS A BIT PRICEY,
ABOUT $290.
ABOUT $290. IT COMES WITH A DOZEN TEST
CAPSULES.
CAPSULES. ON THE WEBSITE, THE COMPANY THAT
MAKES THE DEVICE SAYS IT HAS A
97.6% ACCURACY RATE, BUT THAT
SHOULDN’T BE THE ONLY WAY TO
CHECK FOR PEANUTS IN YOUR FOOD,
TALK TO THE WAIT STAFF, READ THE
LABELING, DON’T STOP DOING THAT,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY ALWAYS
CARRY AN EPIPEN WITH YOU IF
YOU’RE ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS.
THIS COULD BE AN EXTRA LAYER OF
PROTECTION.
PROTECTION. BACK TO YOU GUYS.