Edible product markers and methods for making and using edible product markers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to edible product markers and methods for making and using such markers, including processes for manufacturing, embedding, applying, and retrieving edible product markers. The edible product markets are made of digestible or biologically inert materials that are scored or shaped while being extruded into filaments, and embedded in a vehicle, also made of digestible or biologically inert materials, that facilitates delivery of a predetermined quantity of these markers on to a food or other edible material. The markers are made by spooling and embedding the extruded filaments, and cutting the mass in which these filaments are embedded into cross sections. The markers can be retrieved by washing an aliquot of the marked substance in soap or a detergent, extracting the markers into the soap or detergent, and placing the markers on a microscope slide, where they can be identified by the scores and shapes on cross-sectional view using either white or polarized light.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A filament for making edible product markers comprising: 
 a filament comprising a biocompatible material having an outer periphery, wherein said filament has at least one orientation groove and at least one code groove formed in said outer periphery thereof for at least a portion of the length of said filament.    
     
     
         2 . An article of manufacture for marking an edible product comprising 
 (a) a wound spool comprising at least one filament according to  claim 1  wrapped around a spool of a second biocompatible material; and    (b) a third biocompatible material embedding said wound spool, wherein said at least one filament comprises at the periphery thereof at least one orientation groove and at least one code groove.    
     
     
         3 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein said first biocompatible material is selected from the group consisting of cellulose and silk.  
     
     
         4 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein said second and third biocompatible materials are selected from the group consisting of paraffin, beeswax, honey, gelatin, starches, sugars, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oil, animal fat and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein said second and third biocompatible materials comprise the same material.  
     
     
         6 . The article according to  claim 5 , wherein said second and third biocompatible materials are selected from the group consisting of paraffin, beeswax, honey and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The article according to  claim 3 , wherein said firs t biocompatible material is microcrystalline cellulose.  
     
     
         8 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein said second and third biocompatible materials comprise different materials.  
     
     
         9 . The article according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one filament comprises one orientation groove and seven code grooves.  
     
     
         10 . A method for making an edible product market comprising: 
 (a) winding at least one filament according to  claim 1  around a spool of a second biocompatible material to form a wound spool;    (b) embedding said wound spool in a third biocompatible material; and    (c) slicing said embedded, wound spool to form sections of said wound spool comprising edible product markets, wherein said at least one filament comprises at the periphery thereof at least one orientation groove and at least one code groove and said edible product markets correspond in shape to the cross sectional shape of said at least one filament.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said first biocompatible material is selected from the group consisting of cellulose and silk.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said first biocompatible material is microcrystalline cellulose.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said second and third biocompatible materials are selected from the group consisting of paraffin, beeswax, honey, gelatin, starches, sugars, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oil, animal fat and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . A method for marking an edible product comprising: 
 applying at least one edible product marker made according to  claim 10  to an edible product.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said at least one edible product marker is applied to said edible product by: 
 (i) dissolving said second and third biocompatible materials in a carrier liquid thereby releasing said edible product markers into said carrier liquid and spraying said carrier liquid containing said edible product markers onto said edible material;    (ii) heating said sections of said wound spool under conditions effective to melt said second and third biocompatible materials thereby releasing said edible product markers and dispersing the released edible product markers onto said edible material;    (iii) freeze fracturing said sections of said wound spool thereby releasing said edible product markers thereby dispersing the released edible product markers, suspending the released edible product markers in a carrier liquid and spraying the resultant suspension onto said edible material;    (iv) freeze fracturing said sections of said wound spool thereby releasing said edible product markers and dispersing the released edible product markers onto said edible material by a jet of air;    (v) heating said sections of said wound spool under conditions effective to melt said second and third biocompatible materials thereby releasing said edible product markers and dispersing the released edible product markers onto said edible material by a jet of air; or    (vi) heating said sections of said wound spool under conditions effective to melt said second and third biocompatible materials thereby releasing said edible product markers and dispersing the released edible product markers onto said edible material by suspending the released edible product markers in a carrier liquid and spraying the resultant suspension onto said edible material.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said carrier liquid is selected from the group consisting of vegetable oil, water and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . An edible product marker made according to the method of  claim 10 .  
     
     
         18 . An edible product marker made by cutting said filament according to  claim 1  into cross sections substantially perpendicular to the length thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A method for making a filament according to  claim 1  comprising extruding at least one biocompatible material through a sieve in a spinneret, wherein the extruded filament comprises at least one orientation groove and at least one code groove in the outer periphery thereof along at least a portion of the length of said filament and, further, wherein said sieve includes at least one opening corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of said extruded filament.  
     
     
         20 . A method for tracking information about an edible product comprising: 
 (a) marking said edible product with at least one edible product marker according to the method of  claim 14;  and    (b) removing at least a portion of said at least one edible product marker a period of time after marking; and    (c) reading said removed at least one edible product marker.    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said at least one edible product marker is removed by extracting said at least one marker into a liquid.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said liquid is water.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said water contains at least one detergent.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said at least one edible product marker is read using white or polarized light.