Team:Linkoping Sweden/Market Survey

The interest in a portable and for the consumer easy to use peanut detector

A market survey by LiU iGEM

Participants

LiU iGEM has performed a market survey, in which 130 people participated. The participants were diagnosed with peanut allergy (85.5 %), diagnosed with peanuts sensitivity (1.5%) or self-diagnosed (13.0%). Self-diagnosis were based on that they feel unwell after consuming peanuts or have a close relative with the diagnosis. Several parents participated on their children's behalf, giving an age range from 2 to 55 years old. The market survey was conducted in Swedish and spread via social media.

Severity and symptoms

Participants were asked which symptoms they had experienced during an allergic reaction. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include a tingling sensation or itching in the throat and/or around the mouth, breathing difficulties, swelling of the throat, skin itching, hives on other places than face and throat, swelling in or/and around the mouth, facial swelling of cheeks and around the eyes, vomiting, nausea, paleness, drop in blood pressure or a feel of faint, stomach pains, dizziness, a runny or stuffy nose and sneezing, unconsciousness and diarrhea. The symptoms and their commonness according to the study are summarized in Figure 1.

Many of these allergic symptoms are irritating and uncomfortable for those experiencing them, but some of them are the symptoms of anaphylaxis, e.g. breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea and low blood pressure, which in its turn cause unconsciousness.1 Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal and acute allergic reaction, which may require medical resuscitation measures such as airway management, supplemental oxygen and intravenous fluids. The treatment of choice is an adrenalin injection given intramuscularly into the thigh. Adrenalin counteracts the symptoms caused by allergic reaction of the immune system, lowering heart rate, increasing blood pressure and reducing the swelling of the respiratory tracts.2 An adrenaline injection can be prescribed by a doctor to those who experience severe allergic reactions.

Figure 1, Commonness of allergic symptoms in survey participants diagnosed with peanut allergy. Commonness of symptoms is in percentages of participants that have experienced the symptom.

100 of the participants answered that they have an adrenaline injection prescribed, and 80 of them carry it with them always. 39% have used their adrenaline injection in the last five years. Most of them only once or twice, but six have used it 3-5 times, one 7-9 times and three have used it more than ten times.

Interests

93% of the participants answered that they would be interested in a portable easy to use peanut detector, which can detect traces of peanuts in food. The underlying reasons for lack of interest were the low severity of their allergy; they found their allergic reactions more irritating and uncomfortable than a serious health consequence, and would therefore have no need nor use for the detector. Participants also declined their interest in the product since it is only detects peanuts, and they had tree nut allergies as well and a peanut detector would therefore not solve all the problems. One participant answered that they would like to know more about how the detector works and the market price before answering the question. Another participant answered that they were not interested in the product due to severe airborne allergies, and the detector is not able to detect particles spread in the air.

Those interested in the peanut detector were asked in which situations they would find it practical. Answering quotes for the scenarios presented in the survey were; on vacation abroad (93%), in restaurant (88%), to test processed foods (64%), as a dinner guest (51 %) and to test products in their own cooking (26 %). Participants also mentioned that they would have found it practical at the club, on pubs, cafés, bakeries, airplanes, trains and at the cinema. Parents and kids answered that it would be practical and act as an extra safety when the child dwells outside the own home, such as at camp or a children’s party. Requests about the ability to detect airborne allergens and traces of tree nuts and almonds were made in this part of the study as well.

Abilities

Participants interested in the product were asked for certain requested abilities of the detector. A portable allergen detector should be small enough to fit in a purse or in a jacket pocket, the same size as a snuffbox or cigarette package would satisfy more than 90 % of the potential consumers. According to our theoretical model the detector could provide an answer about contamination within a few seconds. This speed would more than satisfy the potential consumers since the study showed 43 % could wait for an answer for one minute and 47% were willing to wait even longer. The survey led to no conclusion whether the consumers want a clearly recognizable or a more discreet version of the detector. The survey also included inquires about how much the consumers are prepared to pay for the product. The prospective price remains confidential for the time being.

A beta version

The participants interested in a portable peanut detector were asked whether they would be interested in a beta version of the peanut detector, which only can be used to detect more soluble foods such as sauces, stews and ice cream but not for solid foods such as cookies. The primary interest persisted, 69 % maintained their interest in the beta version of the product for a slightly lower price.

References