CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR NUTRITIONAL SUBSTANCES

• US 20130273217A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iceberg International SARL
• Original Assignee: Iceberg International SARL
• Inventors: Minvielle, Eugenio
• Granted Patent: US 9,619,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/231
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/00 Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/00 Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/647 Aspects related to microwave heating combined with other heating techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/687 for cooking
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a conditioning system for nutritional substances. The conditioning system obtains information regarding the nutritional substance to be conditioned, the desired conditioning, and the desired properties, including nutritional content, of the conditioned nutritional substance, and dynamically controls the conditioning in response to this information optimize the organoleptic properties of the conditioned nutritional substance, while minimizing any detrimental changes to the nutritional content.

Claims

1. A conditioner system for nutritional substances comprising:

a controller for obtaining source information regarding a nutritional substance to be conditioned;

a microprocessor for receiving said source information and, based upon said source information, estimating a Δ

N associated with a change in one or more of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic value of the nutritional substance depending upon a proposed conditioning; and

a conditioner for conditioning the nutritional substance using conditioning parameters adapted in response to the source information.

2. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 1 further comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting at least two of the source information, conditioning information and the Δ

N associated with said conditioning.

3. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 1 further comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting at least two of the source information, the proposed conditioning information, and the expected Δ

N associated with said proposed conditioning before conditioning, wherein the source information includes a preconditioning Δ

N associated with change in one or more of a nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic value of the nutritional substance prior to conditioning, wherein

said conditioner employs conditioning parameters adapted in response to the preconditioning Δ

N of the nutritional substance.

4. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 1 further comprising;

a sensor for obtaining conditioning instructions accounting for, or derived using, a preconditioning Δ

N of the nutritional substance, from labeling on, or associated with, the nutritional substance.

5. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 1 further comprising;

a sensor for obtaining a dynamic information identifier from labeling on, or associated with nutritional substance;

wherein

said dynamic information identifier is for allowing retrieval of information related to or derived from at least one of a Δ

N of the nutritional substance prior to proposed conditioning or a Δ

N of the nutritional substance after proposed conditioning, and for allowing retrieval of conditioning instructions accounting for said information related to or derived from the Δ

N of the nutritional substance.

6. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 1 further comprising a nutritional substance database containing information related to or derived from at least one of a Δ

N of the nutritional substance prior to proposed conditioning, or a Δ

N of the nutritional substance after proposed conditioning, or conditioning instructions accounting for said Δ

N, wherein

the information related to the Δ

N of the nutritional substance is comprised, at least in part, of observed, measured, or experienced values reported by a consumer of the nutritional substance.

7. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 6 wherein;

the values reported by a consumer of the nutritional substance are transmitted to a conditioning system used in the preparation of the nutritional substance by at least one of a handheld device, a personal computer, a user interface on a conditioner, and a tablet computer.

8. A conditioner system for nutritional substances according to claim 6 wherein;

the values reported by a consumer of the nutritional substance are transmitted with said source information to a dynamic nutritional substance database for use by at least one of a nutritional substance creator, preserver, transformer, conditioner, and consumer.

9. A method of dynamically conditioning a nutritional substance comprising the steps of:

obtaining source information regarding a preconditioning Δ

N associated with preconditioning changes in one or more of a nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value of the nutritional substance;

obtaining conditioning instructions for the nutritional substance;

calculating any post-conditioning Δ

N associated with post conditioning changes in said one or more nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value of the nutritional substance using the source information and the conditioning information; and

modifying the conditioning instructions using the source information, wherein the conditioning instructions are modified so as to preserve at least one of said nutritional, organoleptic and aesthetic value of the nutritional substance.

10. A method of dynamically conditioning a nutritional substance according to claim 9 wherein

said calculated change in nutritional information is transmitted to at least one of a consumer of the nutritional substance and a dynamic nutritional substance database for the nutritional substance prior to, during, or after conditioning.

11. A method of dynamically conditioning a nutritional substance according to claim 9 wherein

the nutritional substance is conditioned according to the modified conditioning instructions.

12. A method of dynamically conditioning a nutritional substance according to claim 9 wherein the conditioning instructions are further modified by at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic value observed by a consumer of the nutritional substance and transmitted to a controller of a conditioner or to the dynamic nutritional substance database.

13. A method of dynamically conditioning a nutritional substance according to claim 9 wherein source information and at least one of a nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic value desired by a consumer or achieved by conditioning is transmitted to a nutritional substance consumer database or a dynamic nutritional substance database.

14. A system for conditioning nutritional substances comprising:

a dynamic nutritional substance database containing source information and dynamically generated nutritional information for a nutritional substance to be conditioned; and

a dynamic information identifier for allowing retrieval of said information from the dynamic nutritional substance database; and

a reader for recognition of said dynamic information identifier; and

a controller for retrieving said information from the dynamic nutritional substance database and adaptively modifying conditioning parameters responsive to said information.

15. A system for conditioning nutritional substances according to claim 14 further comprising;

a conditioner for conditioning the nutritional substance according to the adaptively modified conditioning parameters to optimize a residual value corresponding to a specific nutritional property of the nutritional substance following conditioning.

16. A system for conditioning nutritional substances according to claim 14 further comprising;

a conditioner for conditioning the nutritional substance according to the adaptively modified conditioning parameters to optimize a residual value corresponding to a consumer selected nutritional property of the nutritional substance after conditioning, wherein

the residual value corresponding to the consumer selected nutritional property of the nutritional substance after conditioning is reported to at least one of the dynamic nutritional substance database, a nutritional substance consumer database, and the consumer before, during or after conditioning.

17. A system for conditioning nutritional substances according to claim 14 further comprising;

a conditioner for conditioning the nutritional substance according to the adaptively modified conditioning parameters to optimize a residual value corresponding to a specific nutritional property of the nutritional substance following conditioning, wherein

the residual value corresponding to the selected nutritional property of the nutritional substance following conditioning is determined from any of;

information pre-existing within the dynamic nutritional substance database;

algorithm;

experimental data;

published standards;

information measured;

information pre-existing within the nutritional substance consumer database or observed before, during, or after conditioning.

18. A system for conditioning nutritional substances according to claim 14 wherein

the dynamic information identifier further allows entry or update of the dynamic nutritional substance database by one or more of a nutritional substance creator, preserver, transformer, conditioner, and customer.