You don't need an EPFX, however I don't care which method you use for biofeedback testing, it will be slower since something like the EPFX does 11000 items in about 5 minutes. I hear a lot of your practitioners use the old Vega system where you hold a pipe and they use an electronic pen with the item inside the circuit, this works but is very time consuming.
EDIT
The one I am dealing with, my old EPFX practitioner uses two fingers. This is a more advanced method but something to aspire to since taking your pendulum to a grocery store to see if the hunk of meat is agreeable to you is to say the least inconvenient :)