Isabel Hoffmann says “You should get some food,” as soon as we meet at Starbucks. “We need something to scan.” I buy lemon loaf.
Hoffmann is the co-founder and CEO of Tellspec, a Toronto company bent on being first to market with a consumer handheld device that can scan and analyze food at the molecular level and reveal what’s inside – starting with calories, fat, fibre, gluten and sugars.
It’s a tall order, and the company has its share of skeptics. It also has stiff competition – the other players in this global race are an Israeli-based startup and an MIT spinoff, both backed by Silicon Valley money.
