Preservation System for Nutritional Substances

• US 20130273222A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• 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 9,541,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/393
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/09 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid N2, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 5/055 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/055 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 9/10 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/001 Details of apparatus, e.g. for transport, for loading or unloading manipulation, pressure feed valves
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/375 with direct contact between the food and the chemical, e.g. liquid nitrogen, at cryogenic temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/00 Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/00 Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air gaseous biological material G01N33/497; exhaust gas of internal combustion engines G01M15/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 7/00 Analysing materials by measuring the pressure or volume of a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

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.

Claims

1. A method of determining nutritional or organoleptic values of nutritional substances comprising the steps of:

retrieving a value related to a Δ

N resulting from packaging and freezing of a nutritional substance; and

retrieving at least one of a value related to a Δ

N resulting from transformation, frozen storage, transfer to a distributor or retailer, and storage by a distributor or retailer; and

retrieving a value related to a baseline nutritional or organoleptic value of the nutritional substance.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the retrieved values are associated with encoding specific to the nutritional substance.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of:

determining a sum of the retrieved values.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the sum of the retrieved values.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein:

the sum is transmitted to a consumer.

7. 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; and

a transmitter for transmitting information regarding encoding associated with the nutritional substance and measurements of the internal environment, the external environment, or the nutritional substance; and

an information module for receiving and preserving the information.

6. A method according to claim 7 wherein:

said packaging and freezing comprises CAS freezing.

8. A preservation system for nutritional substances according to claim 7 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.

9. A preservation system for nutritional substances according to claim 8 wherein:

a thermal property of the internal environment of the container is modified.

10. 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.