Innovation of the week
Soon you may not have to idly wonder just “what’s in your food.”
Soon you may not have to idly wonder just “what’s in your food,” said John Boitnott in FastCompany.com. A company called TellSpec is developing a handheld laser scanner that can serve up a wealth of details about your meal. The device, known as a Raman spectrometer, evaluates a food’s chemical composition and uses algorithms to tabulate its content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and calories. While the scanner can detect some allergens, it’s not accurate enough to catch them all, making it most interesting for users concerned with diabetes and weight loss. TellSpec has raised about $380,000 in funding and says it hopes to deliver a prototype for testers in April. The company says it will soon strike a deal with manufacturers to mass-produce the device, which it hopes to deliver to stores by Christmas.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Javier Milei's memecoin scandal
Under The Radar Argentinian president is facing impeachment calls and fraud accusations
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Who is actually running DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House said in a court filing that Elon Musk isn't the official head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency task force, raising questions about just who is overseeing DOGE's federal blitzkrieg
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How does the Kennedy Center work?
The Explainer The D.C. institution has become a cultural touchstone. Why did Trump take over?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published