While attending SXSW, you’re not only exposed to an array of tech and new ideas, you’re also exposed to a ton of rich foods. BBQ, tacos and Tex-Mex seem to adorn the platters at many of the afterhours parties. And if you’re like me and have a temperamental stomach, all these rich foods can lead to some indigestion. Fortunately, Irish startup FoodMarble looks to cure our ills—or at least provide knowledge of what foods to avoid—through their breathalyzer and smartphone app.
I caught up with Heather McLean, community manager at FoodMarble, on the SXSW convention center floor. She said that co-founder Angus Short started the company after seeing how bad digestive issues plagued his girlfriend at the time. Angus’s goal was to help identify the foods that caused so much grief so that she could avoid them—this ultimately led to creating the FoodMarble AIRE breathalyzer and app.
AIRE works by measuring the amount of fermentation that’s happening in your gut. “The device basically measures hydrogen on your breath, which is caused when food isn’t well absorbed and it reaches your large intestine where it’s fermented by bacteria,” McLean said. “Fermentation is not necessarily bad, but you can pair it a food log and a symptom log [to help identify the issue].”
Check out the video for the complete interview with Heather. And be sure to visit FoodMarble’s site to find out the latest information on preordering the device!
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