Preservation system for nutritional substances

Abstract

Disclosed herein is preservation system for nutritional substances. The preservation system obtains information about the nutritional substance to be preserved, senses and measures the external environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the internal environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the state of the nutritional substance, and stores such information throughout the period of preservation. Using this accumulated information, the preservation system can measure, or estimate, changes in nutritional content (usually degradation) during the period of preservation. Additionally, the preservation system can use this information to dynamically modify the preservation system to minimize detrimental changes to the nutritional content of the nutritional substance, and in some cases actually improve the nutritional substance attributes.

1 . A method of determining nutritional or organoleptic values of nutritional substances comprising the steps of:
 retrieving a value related to a ΔN resulting from packaging and freezing of a nutritional substance;   retrieving at least one of a value related to a ΔN resulting from transformation, frozen storage, transfer to a distributor or retailer, and storage by a distributor or retailer;   retrieving a value related to a baseline nutritional or organoleptic value of the nutritional substance; and:   associating the retrieved values with encoding specific to the nutritional substance.   
     
     
         2 . A method of determining nutritional or organoleptic values of nutritional substances according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 determining a sum of the retrieved values. 
 
     
     
         3 . A method of determining nutritional or organoleptic values of nutritional substances according to  claim 2  further comprising the step of:
 transmitting the sum of the retrieved values to a consumer. 
 
     
     
         4 . A method of determining nutritional or organoleptic values of nutritional substances according to  claim 1  wherein:
 said packaging and freezing comprises CAS freezing. 
 
     
     
         5 . A preservation system for nutritional substances comprising:
 a container for preserving a nutritional substance wherein the container has an internal environment and an external environment;   a transmitter for transmitting information regarding encoding associated with the nutritional substance and measurements of at least one of the internal environment, the external environment, or the nutritional substance; and   an information module for receiving and preserving the information.   
     
     
         6 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 5  wherein:
 the internal environment of the container is modified responsive to a measurement of at least one of the internal environment, the external environment, or the nutritional substance. 
 
     
     
         7 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 6  wherein:
 a thermal property of the internal environment of the container is modified. 
 
     
     
         8 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 9  wherein:
 the internal environment is modified so as to minimize degradation, maintain, or enhance a nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value of the nutritional substance. 
 
     
     
         9 . A preservation system for nutritional substances comprising:
 an adaptive preserver for adaptively preserving a nutritional substance; and   a sensor for sensing an internal attribute of the adaptive preserver; and   attribute storage for storing the internal attribute;   wherein the adaptive preserver adaptively preserves said nutritional substance in response to the internal attribute of the nutritional substance.   
     
     
         10 . A preservation system for nutritional substances comprising:
 an adaptive preserver for adaptively preserving a nutritional substance; and   a sensor for sensing an external attribute of the adaptive preserver;   wherein the adaptive preserver adaptively preserves said nutritional substance in response to the external attribute of the adaptive preserver.   
     
     
         11 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said adaptive preserver comprises a container which adapts its chemical properties. 
     
     
         12 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said adaptive preserver comprises a container which adapts its biological properties. 
     
     
         13 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said adaptive preserver comprises a container which adapts any combination of its chemical, biological, electrical and mechanical properties. 
     
     
         14 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said sensor comprises a biological sensor. 
     
     
         15 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said sensor comprises any combination of chemical, biological, electrical, and mechanical sensors. 
     
     
         16 . A preservation system for nutritional substances according to  claim 10 , wherein said attribute storage comprises a computer and a database. 
     
     
         17 . A nutritional substance tracking system for tracking nutritional, organoleptic or aesthetic values of a nutritional substance, comprising:
 an adaptive preserver for adaptively preserving a nutritional substance; and   a sensor for sensing at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values of the nutritional substance; and   attribute storage for storing said at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values of the nutritional substance;   wherein the adaptive preserver adaptively preserves said nutritional substance in response to said at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values of the nutritional substance so as to maintain, or minimize degradation of said at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values of the nutritional substance.   
     
     
         18 . A nutritional substance tracking system for tracking nutritional, organoleptic or aesthetic values of a nutritional substance according to  claim 17 , wherein said adaptive preserver comprises a container which adapts its chemical properties in response to said at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values. 
     
     
         19 . A nutritional substance tracking system for tracking nutritional, organoleptic or aesthetic values of a nutritional substance according to  claim 17 , wherein said adaptive preserver comprises a container which adapts its electrical properties in response to said at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic values. 
     
     
         20 . A nutritional substance tracking system for tracking nutritional, organoleptic or aesthetic values of a nutritional substance according to  claim 17 , wherein said sensor comprises any combination of chemical, biological, electrical, and mechanical sensors. 
     
     
         21 . A method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance comprising the steps of:
 measuring a condition associated with a nutritional substance; and   comparing said measured condition to known conditions associated with similar nutritional substances to determine if said nutritional substance has passed its expiration date.   
     
     
         22 . The method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance according to  claim 21  wherein the measured condition is an attribute of the nutritional substance. 
     
     
         23 . The method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance according to  claim 21  wherein the measured condition is an attribute of the nutritional substance's environment. 
     
     
         24 . The method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance according to  claim 21  wherein the measured condition is an attribute of the nutritional substance's packaging. 
     
     
         25 . The method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance according to  claim 21  wherein the known conditions associated with similar nutritional substances are based on experimentation. 
     
     
         26 . The method of dynamically ascertaining an expiration date for a nutritional substance according to  claim 21  wherein the known conditions associated with similar nutritional substances are based on algorithm. 
     
     
         27 . A communication system for nutritional substances comprising:
 a container interfacing with a nutritional substance; and   a state sensor for sensing an attribute of the nutritional substance interfacing with the container; and   an interface associated with the container for providing information about the state of the nutritional substance,   wherein there is provided information flow between the container and the nutritional substance.   
     
     
         28 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 27  wherein the information flow relates to a nutritional or organoleptic state of the nutritional substance. 
     
     
         29 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 27  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with sensory values including any of audio, visual, tactile, olfactory, and other organoleptic values. 
     
     
         30 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 27  wherein said information provides a warning for indicating at least one of health warning, allergy warning, toxicity warning, pesticide warning, identification of product spoilage, and identification of product tampering. 
     
     
         31 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 27  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with at least one sensible characteristic that varies with time or conditions, and said at least one sensible characteristic relates to a chemical or biological change in the nutritional substance. 
     
     
         32 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 27  wherein said at least one sensible characteristic may be associated with gasses or odors from the nutritional substance. 
     
     
         33 . A communication system for nutritional substances comprising:
 a container interfacing with a nutritional substance; and   a sensor for sensing an attribute of the container, wherein there is provided information regarding said attribute of the container; and   an interface associated with the container for providing information related to a state of the nutritional substance.   
     
     
         34 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 33  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is related to a nutritional or organoleptic state. 
     
     
         35 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 33  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with sensory values including any of audio, visual, tactile, olfactory, and other organoleptic values. 
     
     
         36 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 33  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with a warning regarding the nutritional substance that indicates at least one of health warning, allergy warning, toxicity warning, pesticide warning, identification of product spoilage, and identification of product tampering. 
     
     
         37 . A communication system for nutritional substances comprising:
 a container interfacing with a nutritional substance; and   a sensor for sensing an attribute of the container's environment, wherein there is provided information regarding said attribute of the container's environment; and   an interface associated with the container for providing information related to a state of the nutritional substance and wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is related to a nutritional or organoleptic state.   
     
     
         38 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 37  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with sensory values including any of audio, visual, tactile, olfactory, and other organoleptic values. 
     
     
         39 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 37  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with a warning regarding the nutritional substance related to an allergy warning, toxicity warning, pesticide warning, identification of product spoilage, and identification of product tampering. 
     
     
         40 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 37  wherein said information related to a state of the nutritional substance is associated with at least one sensible characteristic that varies with time or conditions. 
     
     
         41 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 40  wherein said at least one sensible characteristic relates to a change in temperature, pressure, or humidity of the container's environment. 
     
     
         42 . A communication system for nutritional substances according to  claim 40  wherein said at least one sensible characteristic may be associated with gasses or odors.