System and method for determining a nutritional value of a food item

• US 20110202359A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stanley C. Rak
• Original Assignee: Stanley C. Rak
• Inventors: Rak, Stanley C.
• Application Number:
  US12/658,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

Computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product for determining a nutritional health value of a food item are disclosed. The method includes receiving information about number of ingredients, controversial ingredients, nutrients and vitamins contained in the food item, assigning a predetermined weighting value to each nutrient contained in the food item. For each nutrient contained in the food item, the method determines a nutrient value based on a percentage of the nutrient contained in the food item and the weighting value of each nutrient contained in the food item. For each vitamin contained in the food item, the method determines a vitamin value based on a sum of percentages of all vitamins contained in the food item. The method further determining an ingredient value based on a total number of ingredients and a total number of controversial ingredients contained in the food item. Then, the method calculates a negative-health-effect value based on a sum of a first set of nutrient values, a positive-health-effect value based on a sum of a second set of nutrient values, a nutrient-to-vitamin value using the calculated negative-health-effect value, the calculated positive-effect-value, and a maximum weight of the calculated positive-effect-value, and a controversial ingredient penalty value. The nutritional health value of the food item is generated using the calculated nutrient-to-vitamin value and the calculated controversial ingredient penalty value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a nutritional health value of a food item, comprising the steps of:

receiving information about number of ingredients, controversial ingredients, nutrients and vitamins contained in the food item;

assigning a predetermined weighting value to each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each nutrient contained in the food item, determining a nutrient value based on a percentage of the nutrient contained in the food item and the weighting value of each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each vitamin contained in the food item, determining a vitamin value based on a sum of percentages of all vitamins contained in the food item;

determining an ingredient value based on a total number of ingredients and a total number of controversial ingredients contained in the food item;

calculating

an negative-health-effect value based on a sum of a first set of nutrient values, wherein the first set of nutrient values is configured to have a negative health effect on the quality of the food item;

a positive-health-effect value based on a sum of a second set of nutrient values, wherein the second set of nutrient values is configured to have a positive health effect on the quality of the food item;

a nutrient-to-vitamin value using the calculated negative-health-effect value, the calculated positive-effect-value, and a maximum weight of the calculated positive-effect-value;

a controversial ingredient penalty value;

generating a nutritional health value of the food item using the calculated nutrient-to-vitamin value and the calculated controversial ingredient penalty value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nutrient value is determined as follows

nutrient value=((p/r)[0,δ

])*w,

wherein p is a percent of the nutrient in the food item;

r is a percent recommended daily intake of the nutrient;

w is the weighting of the nutrient;

[0, δ

] indicates that the value of (p/r) is greater than 0 and less than δ

, wherein δ

is a predetermined value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vitamin value is determined as follows

vitamin value=SUM(v)*x_v

wherein v is a percent of each vitamin in the food item;

SUM indicates a sum of all vitamins in the food item; and

x_v is a weighting value of each vitamin in the food item.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ingredient value is determined as follows

ingredient value=c/a

wherein c is the number of controversial ingredients and a is the total number of ingredients in the food item.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of receiving further comprises

obtaining the number of ingredients, the number of controversial ingredients, the nutrients and the vitamins information from a database.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the negative-health-effect value is determined as follows:

negative-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the first set of nutrients)/100 [0, α

]

wherein the negative-health-effect value cannot be greater than α

or less than 0, wherein α

is a predetermined value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first set of nutrients includes saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positive-health-effect value is determined as follows:

positive-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the second set of nutrients and vitamin value)/100 [0, β

]

wherein the positive-health-effect value cannot be greater than β

or less than 0, wherein β

is a predetermined value.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second set of nutrients includes protein, dietary fiber, and potassium.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nutrient-to-vitamin value is determined as follows

nutrient-to-vitamin value=(70+(100*positive-health-effect value)−

(100*negative-health-effect value))[0, λ

]

wherein (g) is the maximum weight of the positive-health-effect value;

the nutrient-to-vitamin value cannot be less than 0 or more than λ

, where λ

is a predetermined value.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nutritional health value of the food item is generated as follows

nutritional health value=nutrient-to-vitamin value*Controversial ingredient penalty value [0, ε

]

wherein the health score cannot be less than 0 or more than ε

, where ε

is a predetermined value;

controversial ingredient penalty value is determined as follows

controversial ingredient penalty value=1−

ingredient value.

12. A computer-implemented system for determining a nutritional health value of a food item, comprising:

a memory;

a processor configured to

receive information about number of ingredients, controversial ingredients, nutrients and vitamins contained in the food item;

assign a predetermined weighting value to each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each nutrient contained in the food item, determine a nutrient value based on a percentage of the nutrient contained in the food item and the weighting value of each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each vitamin contained in the food item, determine a vitamin value based on a sum of percentages of all vitamins contained in the food item;

determine an ingredient value based on a total number of ingredients and a total number of controversial ingredients contained in the food item;

calculate

a negative-health-effect value based on a sum of a first set of nutrient values, wherein the first set of nutrient values is configured to have a negative health effect on the quality of the food item;

a positive-health-effect value based on a sum of a second set of nutrient values, wherein the second set of nutrient values is configured to have a positive health effect on the quality of the food item;

a nutrient-to-vitamin value using the calculated negative-health-effect value, the calculated positive-effect-value, and a maximum weight of the calculated positive-effect-value;

a controversial ingredient penalty value;

output a nutritional health value of the food item using the calculated nutrient-to-vitamin value and the calculated controversial ingredient penalty value.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the nutrient value is determined by the processor as follows

nutrient value=((p/r)[0, δ

])*w,

wherein p is a percent of the nutrient in the food item;

r is a percent recommended daily intake of the nutrient;

w is the weighting of the nutrient;

[0, δ

] indicates that the value of (p/r) is greater than 0 and less than δ

, wherein δ

is a predetermined value.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the vitamin value is determined by the processor as follows

vitamin value=SUM(v)*x_v

wherein v is a percent of each vitamin in the food item;

SUM indicates a sum of all vitamins in the food item; and

x_v is a weighting value of each vitamin in the food item.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the ingredient value is determined by the processor as follows

ingredient value=c/a

wherein c is the number of controversial ingredients and a is the total number of ingredients in the food item.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the processor obtains the number of ingredients, the number of controversial ingredients, the nutrients and the vitamins information from a database.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the negative-health-effect value is determined by the processor as follows:

negative-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the first set of nutrients)/100 [0, α

]

wherein the negative-health-effect value cannot be greater than α

or less than 0, wherein α

is a predetermined value.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first set of nutrients includes saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the positive-health-effect value is determined by the processor as follows:

positive-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the second set of nutrients and vitamin value)/100 [0, β

]

wherein the positive-health-effect value cannot be greater than β

or less than 0, wherein β

is a predetermined value.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the second set of nutrients includes protein, dietary fiber, and potassium.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the nutrient-to-vitamin value is determined by the processor as follows

nutrient-to-vitamin value=(70+(100*positive-health-effect value)+(100*negative-health-effect value)) [0, λ

]

wherein (g) is the maximum weight of the positive-health-effect value;

the nutrient-to-vitamin value cannot be less than 0 or more than λ

, where λ

is a predetermined value.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein the nutritional health value of the food item is generated by the processor as follows

nutritional health value=nutrient-to-vitamin value*Controversial ingredient penalty value [0, ε

]

wherein the health score cannot be less than 0 or more than ε

, where ε

is a predetermined value;

controversial ingredient penalty value is determined as follows

controversial ingredient penalty value=1−

ingredient value.

23. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium, for use with a computer configured to determine a nutritional health value of a food item, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to:

receive information about number of ingredients, controversial ingredients, nutrients and vitamins contained in the food item;

assign a predetermined weighting value to each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each nutrient contained in the food item, determine a nutrient value based on a percentage of the nutrient contained in the food item and the weighting value of each nutrient contained in the food item;

for each vitamin contained in the food item, determine a vitamin value based on a sum of percentages of all vitamins contained in the food item;

determine an ingredient value based on a total number of ingredients and a total number of controversial ingredients contained in the food item;

calculate

an negative-health-effect value based on a sum of a first set of nutrient values, wherein the first set of nutrient values is configured to have a negative health effect on the quality of the food item;

a positive-health-effect value based on a sum of a second set of nutrient values, wherein the second set of nutrient values is configured to have a positive health effect on the quality of the food item;

a nutrient-to-vitamin value using the calculated negative-health-effect value, the calculated positive-effect-value, and a maximum weight of the calculated positive-effect-value;

a controversial ingredient penalty value;

generate a nutritional health value of the food item using the calculated nutrient-to-vitamin value and the calculated controversial ingredient penalty value.

24. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the nutrient value as follows

nutrient value=((p/r)[0, δ

])*w,

wherein p is a percent of the nutrient in the food item;

r is a percent recommended daily intake of the nutrient;

w is the weighting of the nutrient;

[0, δ

] indicates that the value of (p/r) is greater than 0 and less than δ

, wherein δ

is a predetermined value.

25. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the vitamin value as follows

vitamin value=SUM(v)*x_v

wherein v is a percent of each vitamin in the food item;

SUM indicates a sum of all vitamins in the food item; and

x_v is a weighting value of each vitamin in the food item.

26. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the ingredient value as follows

ingredient value=c/a

wherein c is the number of controversial ingredients and a is the total number of ingredients in the food item.

27. The computer-program product according to claim 26, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to obtain the number of ingredients, the number of controversial ingredients, the nutrients and the vitamins information from a database.

28. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the negative-health-effect value as follows:

negative-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the first set of nutrients)/100 [0, α

]

wherein the negative-health-effect value cannot be greater than α

or less than 0, wherein α

is a predetermined value.

29. The computer-program product according to claim 28, wherein the first set of nutrients includes saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar.

30. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the positive-health-effect value as follows:

positive-health-effect value=(sum of nutrient values for each nutrient in the second set of nutrients and vitamin value)/100 [0, β

]

wherein the positive-health-effect value cannot be greater than β

or less than 0, wherein β

is a predetermined value.

31. The computer-program product according to claim 30, wherein the second set of nutrients includes protein, dietary fiber, and potassium.

32. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to determine the nutrient-to-vitamin value as follows

nutrient-to-vitamin value=(70−

(100*positive-health-effect value)+(100*negative-health-effect value))[0, λ

]

wherein (g) is the maximum weight of the positive-health-effect value;

the nutrient-to-vitamin value cannot be less than 0 or more than λ

, where λ

is a predetermined value.

33. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions for causing the computer to generate the nutritional health value of the food item as follows

nutritional health value=nutrient-to-vitamin value*Controversial ingredient penalty value [0, ε

]

wherein the health score cannot be less than 0 or more than ε

, where ε

is a predetermined value;

controversial ingredient penalty value is determined as follows

controversial ingredient penalty value=1−

ingredient value.