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Method of indicating fat content of a food product

  • US 5,726,899 A
  • Filed: 08/10/1995
  • Issued: 03/10/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
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1. A method of indicating fat content of a food product, the method comprising:

  • providing a corporate headquarters mainframe computer having a computer program that associates Universal Product Code information with the product, that receives as inputs fat grams and calories per serving for a product, that determines fat percentage by calories for the product, that categorizes the product in a first category if the determined fat percentage by calories is greater than or equal to 50 percent, a second category if the determined fat percentage by calories is between 31 and 49 percent, and a third category if the determined fat percentage by calories is less than or equal to 30 percent, and that associates the category for the product with the Universal Product Code for the product;

    providing a plurality of store computers, and a plurality of store printers respectively connected to the store computers, in locations separate from the corporate headquarters computer, the store computers respectively having a label creating computer program for causing the printer to print Universal Product Code tags, and for causing the printer to print onto labels, the label creating computer program further being configured to perform a logical test to determine if a field has data not equal to a certain value;

    customizing the respective label creating computer programs so that respective solid black squares are printed in first and second locations if the product belongs in the third category, respective solid black squares are printed in the first location and a third location if the product belongs in the second category, and respective solid black squares are printed in the second and third locations if the product belongs in the first category, the first, second, and third locations being spaced apart from one another and being located in a row;

    inputting pricing and nutritional information into the corporate headquarters computer for a product, the nutritional information including separate entries including an entry for fat grams, and an entry for calories per serving;

    determining, using the corporate headquarters computer, whether the product falls into the first, second, or third of the categories;

    causing the corporate headquarters computer to initiate communications with respective store computers, remote from the corporate headquarters computer, using a dial-up modem connection;

    transmitting from the corporate headquarters computer to the store computers Universal Product Code information for the product and the category for the product identified by the Universal Product Code;

    providing respective tags having thereon red, yellow, and green indicia in a traffic light sequence; and

    orienting the tags in respective store printers, and causing the store computers to execute the label program, wherein solid black squares are printed over the red indicia and the yellow indicia if the product belongs in the third category, wherein solid black squares are printed over the red indicia and the green indicia if the product belongs in the second category, and wherein solid black squares are printed over the yellow indicia and the green indicia if the product belongs in the third category.

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