How to Monitor Food Processing Systems
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024535756
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2021-12-17
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-16
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates generally to food production, and more particularly to a method for monitoring a food processing system and a food processing system. [Background technology]
[0002] Today, many food manufacturers are using automation and information solutions such as Tetra Pak® PlantMaster to ensure that their food processing systems are performing as expected. By equipping food processing systems with sensors, data can be continuously captured and processed to notify operators of the need for service or anything else that is preventing the food processing system from performing to its full potential. Additionally, by being able to remotely control the food processing units in the system, settings within the system or food processing units can be controlled more efficiently and cost-effectively.
[0003] Having access to vast amounts of data collected from food production systems and the possibility to easily adapt them, food production systems using modern automation and information solutions can process food more efficiently, also in terms of their environmental impact. Using fewer resources to produce food is therefore better in terms of both cost and the environment.
[0004] Today, the settings of various food manufacturing equipment are carefully monitored and controlled to enable more resource-efficient food production. For example, the temperature of heat exchangers is carefully monitored to ensure that the food is heated sufficiently to kill unwanted microorganisms, but also to ensure that the food is not overheated, thereby avoiding excessive contamination and, in some cases, food that does not meet quality requirements due to deviations in taste or color.
[0005] Automation and information solutions can also be used to make cleaning more resource-efficient: by monitoring the amount of water used to wash a food processing unit or a group of food processing units, the washing time and the water flow, it is possible to optimize the cleaning process in such a way that water consumption, cleaning agent consumption and washing time can be reduced to levels that would not be achievable without the continuous data provided by the system. Furthermore, careful monitoring can further reduce the risk that food residues will remain in the system after cleaning.
[0006] Modern automation and information solutions make food production more resource-efficient today than it was before these solutions became widespread, but further improvements are needed. Resource-efficient food production therefore has a direct impact on costs: by further reducing costs without sacrificing food safety, more people can benefit. Furthermore, and very importantly, more resource-efficient food production can further reduce the environmental impact of food production. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to at least partially overcome one or more of the above identified limitations of the prior art. In particular, it is an object to provide detailed information about a food processing system, insofar as it can provide food production information related to a particular food product. For example, this information can comprise how food processing units were used to produce a particular food product, and how these food processing units were configured in producing the particular food product. It is a further object to use this food production specific information to determine an environmental impact measure of a particular food product, e.g. a package filled with the food product. Yet another object is to provide a method for distributing utility consumption commonly used by a number of food processing units, e.g. cleaning agent usage for cleaning a group of food processing units. Yet another object is to provide a method for how food production can be scheduled to increase the use of locally produced electricity. Yet another object is to provide a method for showing how food production can be scheduled to increase the use of green electricity, i.e. electricity produced from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, etc.
[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a computer implemented method for monitoring a food processing system configured to produce a food product using a data processing device, the method comprising: receiving process traceability data related to the food product, the process traceability data may comprise information about which food processing units of the food processing system were involved in processing the food product and during which time slots the food processing units were involved in processing the food product; receiving process event data related to food processing units of the food processing system, the process event data may comprise information about state changes of the food processing units that occurred during the processing of the food product and when the state changes occurred; receiving settings of the processing units associated with different states; determining settings used for the food processing unit during the different time slots by combining the process event data and the settings of the processing units associated with the different states; and determining settings of the food processing unit used for processing the food product by combining the process traceability data and settings used for the food processing unit during the different time slots; and providing settings of the food processing unit used for processing the food product.
[0009] The advantage of having settings used in a food processing unit for producing a food product is that this offers the possibility of linking different measures specifically to individual packages or storage units holding a liquid food product. For example, the settings used may be linked to a carton package holding a food product, but also to a storage tank used for example for transporting food from a food processing plant to a packaging plant. Furthermore, it is also possible to have different settings for different parts of a package. For example, the individual packages may be primary packages, but also secondary packages, i.e. packages holding primary packages, such as carton trays holding groups of primary packages. The availability of such settings can for example increase energy efficiency.
[0010] The method may further comprise receiving environmental impact data associated with different settings of different food processing units and determining an environmental impact measure of the food product, such as a carbon footprint, by combining the settings of the food processing units used to process the food product with the environmental impact data.
[0011] The advantage of determining the settings first and then determining the environmental impact measures based on those settings is that updates can be easily made, e.g., adjusting the environmental impacts for a particular setting can be easily done using the proposed modular approach.
[0012] The method further includes retrieving meter coverage data, the meter coverage data may comprise links between food processing units of the food processing system and meters provided in the food processing system, combining the process traceability data with the meter coverage data to identify a first type meter and a second type meter, the first type meter being associated with a single food processing unit used to process the food product and the second type meter being associated with a plurality of food processing units, at least a subset of which are used to process the food product, for a time slot during which the food processing units linked to the first type meter were used to process the food product. , retrieving a first type of utility consumption data for the first type meters, retrieving second type of utility consumption data for the second type meters for time slots during which a subset of food processing units linked to the second type meters were used to process food products, retrieving an allocation key for the second type of utility consumption data, allocating a portion of the second type of utility consumption data to the subset of food processing units using the allocation key, aggregating the first type of utility consumption data and the portion of the second type of utility consumption data into total utility consumption data for the food, and converting the total utility consumption data into an environmental impact measure.
[0013] An advantage of the above is that, for example, both direct and indirect utility consumption associated with the processing of food products can be taken into account when determining an environmental impact measure.
[0014] The first and / or second utility consumption data may include water usage, electricity usage, pressurized air usage, sterile air usage, food waste generation, and / or chemical usage, such as cleaning agents.
[0015] The method may further comprise receiving electricity production data for different time slots from a power generation plant, such as a solar power plant, located at the food production site along with the food processing system, and adjusting the environmental impact measure by combining the electricity usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data with the electricity production data for the different time slots.
[0016] The advantage of this method is that it allows for the consideration of locally produced electricity when determining environmental impact assessments, making it possible to quantify the impact of investments in solar panels, for example, on individual food products.
[0017] The method may further comprise receiving weather forecast data, forecasting electricity production data for different time slots based on the weather forecast data, identifying a proposed production scheme including start and stop times based on a combination of the forecast alternatives for the different time slots and estimated electricity usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data for upcoming food processing of the food, and providing the proposed production scheme.
[0018] The advantage of this is that the schedule can be adjusted so that electricity-intensive processes take place when electricity is available from local electricity production, such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc. Additionally, if green electricity is available off-site, it can also be scheduled based on electricity produced from renewable energy sources installed outside the food production site.
[0019] The method may further comprise filling the packaging with the food product, the packaging being marked with an identification mark and linking the identification mark to the environmental impact measure.
[0020] In this way, a user who scans the identifying mark with a mobile phone or other suitable device can be directed to a website or other location that provides information about the environmental impact measures and how those measures are calculated.
[0021] The identification mark may be linked to a set of instructions configured to be executed on the user equipment when the identification mark is read by the user equipment, further including receiving an identification mark read confirmation indicating that the identification mark has been read by the user equipment, sending a location request to the user equipment, receiving user equipment location data in response to the location request, retrieving food production plant location data using the identification mark, and determining a transportation environmental impact measure based on the user equipment location data and the food production plant location data.
[0022] The location of the user device, e.g., a mobile phone, used to read the identification mark can be used in combination with the location of the food production plant to determine the distance between them and based on this the environmental impact of the transport can be estimated and taken into account. Instead of using the location of the user device, the user can also input the place of purchase or this location can be used instead of the location of the user device to determine the transport environmental impact measure.
[0023] The method may further comprise filling the package with the food product and printing letters and / or numbers corresponding to the environmental impact policy on the package.
[0024] An advantage of printing text and / or numbers relating to the environmental impact indicator on the packaging is that it can be easily seen by the user, i.e. the consumer, and can use it as a factor in deciding which product to purchase.
[0025] The different states may include a start-up state in which the food processing unit is prepared for food production, a recovery state in which food product held in the food processing unit is recovered in a recovery tank, a clean-in-place state in which all or part of the food processing unit is cleaned, and a closed state in which the food processing unit is emptied.
[0026] The method may further comprise receiving a food ingredient environmental impact measure linked to the food ingredient, and the step of determining the environmental impact measure may further comprise adding the food ingredient environmental impact measure.
[0027] This method also allows the environmental impact of food ingredients, such as raw milk, to be taken into account.
[0028] The method may further comprise receiving a packaging material batch arranged to be formed into a package, reading a packaging material batch identification code arranged on the packaging material batch, sending a request for a packaging material environmental impact measure linked to the packaging material batch identification code, and receiving the packaging material environmental impact measure linked to the packaging material batch identification code in response to the request, wherein the step of determining the environmental impact measure further comprises adding the packaging material environmental impact measure.
[0029] The advantage of this is that when reading the batch identification code of the packaging material, e.g. when producing a reel of packaging material for a carton package, the environmental impact measurements of the packaging material can also be read at the same time in order to find out information about the packaging material and be able to adjust the settings of the packaging machine accordingly, so that the environmental impact of the packaging material at batch level can also be taken into account when determining the environmental impact assessment of the food product.
[0030] According to a second aspect, there is provided a food processing system arranged to produce a food product, comprising a food processing unit and a data processing device, the data processing device comprising a traceability module configured to process traceability data related to the food product, the process traceability data comprising information about which food processing units of the food processing system were involved in processing the food product and during which time slots the food processing units were involved in processing the food product, a process event module configured to receive process event data related to the food processing units of the food production system, the process event data comprising information about state changes of the food processing units that occurred during the processing of the food product and about the time points at which the state changes occurred, a setting and state identification module configured to receive settings of the processing units associated with different states and determine settings used for the food processing units during the different time slots by combining the process event data with the settings of the processing units associated with the different states, and a setting module for food configured to determine settings of the food processing unit used to process the food product by combining the process traceability data with settings used for the food processing units during the different time slots.
[0031] The same features and advantages as discussed above with respect to the first aspect also apply to this second aspect.
[0032] The food processing system may further comprise an environmental impact metric determination module configured to receive environmental impact data associated with different settings of the different food processing units and determine an environmental impact metric of the food product, such as a carbon footprint, by combining the settings of the food processing units used to process the food product with the environmental impact data.
[0033] The different states may include a start-up state in which the food processing unit is prepared for food production, a recovery state in which food product held in the food processing unit is recovered in a recovery tank, a cleaning state in which all or part of the food processing unit is cleaned, and a closed state in which the food processing unit is emptied.
[0034] Further objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings. [Means for solving the problem]
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a food processing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of process traceability data. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of meter coverage rate data. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates the data flows associated with determining the environmental impact measures for a particular food product. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring a food processing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the environmental impacts of transportation can be factored into an environmental impact assessment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a food processing system 100. As shown, a food ingredient 101, such as raw milk or, as shown, apples, can be fed to the system 100. In the system 100, the food ingredient 101 can be processed using a wide range of different food processing units 104a-e, including tanks 106a-c, to convert the food ingredient 101 into a food product 102. In the illustrated example, the food product 102 is illustrated as being held in a carton package 103 filled with the food product, although other types of packages are applicable. Also, the general concept is not limited to liquid food products. However, even though the general concept is not limited to liquid food products, some special considerations are required when processing liquid food products. For example, since the processing of liquid food products is performed continuously or in batches, it is necessary to monitor the changes in the state of the food processing units 104a-e to form a link between the specific portions of the food product placed in a specific package 103. The same does not apply in discrete food processing. For example, in a meat processing system where each piece of meat is processed individually, i.e. discrete food production, different events can easily be linked to a particular piece of meat.
[0038] As shown, the package 103 may be provided with an identification mark 105. By using this mark, a link between the food product 102 held in the package 103 and the processing history of the food product 102 held in the package 103 can be maintained even after the food product 102 leaves the food processing system 100 until the package 103 is opened. The identification mark 105 may be a printed code, such as a QR code, or an identification mark integrated into the packaging material of the package 103, for example a pattern formed by magnetic particles. It may also be an RFID code or other type of identification marking technology.
[0039] Food processing units 104a-e, including tanks 106a-c, are connected by pipe sections 110a-j, and valves 108a-b may be used to direct the food products 102 through the food processing system 100. As an example, the valves 108a,b may be used to direct the food products 102 into a first flow path FP1 or a second flow path FP2, where the two flow paths are parallel and include different food processing units.
[0040] Food processing unit sensors 114a-e may be provided in the food processing units 104a-e to provide information from the food processing system 100 to a data processing device 112, which may include an on-site computer, a remotely located server, or a combination of an on-site computer and a remote server. Although sensors are shown in each food processing unit 104a-e, some food processing units may not have sensors. However, in general, the more food processing units 104a-e that are provided with food processing unit sensors 114a-e, also referred to as meters, the better the monitoring of the food processing system 100. Tank sensors 116a-c may also be provided in the tanks 106a-c. With respect to the food processing units 104a-e, it may be required by the food processing system operator to provide level and temperature sensors at least in the tanks 106a-c so that the levels and temperatures in the tanks 106a-c can be monitored, but it is not necessary to provide a sensor in each tank. Here, food processing unit sensors 114a-e and tank sensors 116a-c are generally referred to as a first type of meter.
[0041] Many food processing systems are divided into subsystems. In the illustrated example, five different subsystems 118a-e are provided. The subsystems may overlap or may be formed for different purposes. For example, a clean-in-place (CIP) subsystem may be formed for a group of food processing units to ensure that cleaning is performed in an efficient manner. Another reason for forming subsystems is that it is common to provide pressurized air to a group of food processing units. As shown in FIG. 1, the subsystems 118a-e may include subsystem sensors 120a-e. In addition, a full system sensor 122 may be provided to capture data related to the entire system. The subsystem sensors 120a-e and the full system sensor 122 are collectively referred to herein as a second type of meter.
[0042] A packaging material batch 124, such as a reel of packaging material, may be input into the food processing system 100. The packaging material batch 124 may be provided with a packaging material batch identification code 126 so that the packaging material batch 124 may be associated with, for example, the amount of energy used to produce the packaging material batch or the origin of the raw materials used to produce the packaging material batch. Using this identification code 126, information related to the packaging material batch 124 may be accessed, such as via a database provided by the packaging material manufacturer.
[0043] The data processing device 112 may comprise a traceability module 128, a process events module 130, a settings and state identifier module 132, a food settings module 134 and, optionally, an environmental impact measures determination module 136. These modules may be implemented in software. Although illustrated as part of the data processing device 112, a distributed approach may be applied in which the modules are partly or entirely located elsewhere, for example in a cloud computing environment. Furthermore, although not explicitly illustrated, data may be transmitted between the system 100 and the different modules.
[0044] More specifically, the traceability module 128 may be configured to process traceability data 200 related to the food product 102, and the process traceability data 200 may include information regarding which food processing units of the food processing system 100 were involved in processing the food product 102 and which time slots the food processing units were involved in processing the food product 102.
[0045] The process event module 130 may be configured to receive process event data 202 associated with a food processing unit of the food production system, the process event data 202 including information regarding state changes of the food processing unit that occurred during the processing of the food product 102 and the time when the state changes occurred.
[0046] The setting and state identification module 132 may be configured to receive the settings 204 of the processing units 104a-e, 106a-c associated with different states and determine the settings to be used for the food processing units during different time slots by combining the process event data 202 with the settings 204 of the processing units associated with the different states.
[0047] The food setting module 134 may be configured to determine the settings of the food processing units 104a-e, 106a-c used to process the food product 102 by combining the process traceability data 200 and the settings 204 used for the food processing units 104a-e, 106a-c during different time slots.
[0048] The environmental impact measurement determination module 136 may be configured to receive environmental impact data 406 associated with different settings of the different food processing units 104a-e, 106a-c and determine an environmental impact measurement 412, such as a carbon footprint of the food product 102, by combining the environmental impact data 406 with the settings of the food processing units 104a-e, 106a-c used to process the food product 102.
[0049] Figure 2 shows an example of process traceability data 200. As shown, for a particular food product, here designated "ID#1," it is possible to see which food processing units were involved in which time slots. In Figure 1, the food processing units involved are shown in bold.
[0050] 3 illustrates an example of meter coverage data 300. The meter coverage data 300 provides information regarding which sensors or meters are associated with which food processing units. As illustrated, both first and second type sensors are considered.
[0051] 4 shows, by way of example, a schematic of how data may be transmitted to and received from the data processing device 112. As shown and described above, process traceability data 200, process event data 202, and settings 204 of the processing units 104a-e, 106a-c associated with different conditions may be received by the data processing device 112. The settings 204 may be set values or actual values, for example, a temperature set to be used in a particular condition or an actual temperature used in a particular condition. Meter coverage data 300 may be used to link different meters or sensors to different food processing units.
[0052] First utility consumption data 402 relating to a first type meter may be received such that the consumption data captured by the food processing unit sensors 114a-e may be associated with the food products 102 such that environmental impact measures 412 may be determined.
[0053] A second type of utility consumption data 404 for a second type of meter may also be received, thereby associating the consumption data captured by the subsystem sensors 120a-e with the food products 102. Because this consumption data is associated with multiple food processing units, a distribution key 408 obtained from a database 410, which may be shared among multiple food processing systems, may be used to distribute the consumption data across the multiple food processing units.
[0054] Environmental impact data 406 associated with different settings of the different food processing units 104a-e may also be received. By combining the settings of the food processing units 104a-e used to process the food product 102 with the environmental impact data 406, an environmental impact metric 412, such as a carbon footprint of the food product 102, can be determined.
[0055] A portion of the first type of utility consumption data 402 and the second type of utility consumption data 404 determined using the distribution key 408 may be aggregated into total utility consumption data 410. A computer 411 may be used to convert the total utility consumption data 410 into an environmental impact measure 412. However, although not shown, the data processing device 112 may convert the total utility consumption data 410 into an environmental impact measure 412.
[0056] Additionally, if the food processing system 100 is located at a site provided with an electricity production plant, e.g., solar panels, electricity production data 414 for different time slots may be received from the electricity production plant 416. The environmental impact measure 412 may be adjusted by combining the electricity usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data 402, 404 with the electricity production data 414 for different time slots. In other words, if electricity is produced on site during the processing of the food product 102, this may be taken into account and associated with the food product 102. For example, if the food product 102 is produced with locally produced electricity, i.e., by the electricity production plant 416, this may be indicated by a lower energy consumption number printed on the package 103 of the food product 102.
[0057] Since the power generation data 414 may be weather dependent in some cases, for example solar panels generate more power in sunny weather than in rainy weather, weather forecast data 418 may be received and taken into account. The ability to predict the power generation data 414 may provide a proposed power generation plan 420.
[0058] Additionally, food ingredient environmental impact measurements 422 may be received. By also having access to the environmental impact of the raw food product 101, the accuracy of the environmental impact measurements 412 can be further improved.
[0059] In a similar manner, packaging material environmental impact measurements 424 may be received, which may be received via the packaging material batch identification code 126, for example, which is read and uploaded with the request to a server maintained by the packaging material provider, which receives food ingredient environmental impact measurements 422 in response to the request. By also accessing the environmental impact of the packaging material, the accuracy of the environmental impact measurements 412 may be further improved.
[0060] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method 500 for monitoring a food processing system 100. In a first step 502, process traceability data 200 related to a food product 102 can be received. In a second step 504, process event data 202 related to a food processing unit of the food production system 100 can be received. In a third step 506, settings 204 of the food processing units 104a-e associated with different states can be received. In a fourth step 508, by combining the process event data 202 and the settings 204 of the food processing units associated with different states, settings used for the food processing units 104a-e during different time slots can be determined. In a fifth step 510, by combining the process traceability data 200 and the settings used for the food processing units during different time slots, settings used for the food processing units 104a-e used for processing the food product 102 can be determined. In a sixth step 512, settings for the food processing units 104a-e used for processing the food product 102 can be determined.
[0061] Optionally, in a seventh step 514, environmental impact data 406 associated with different settings of the different food processing units 104a-e can be received, and in an eighth step 516, an environmental impact measure 412, such as a carbon footprint of the food product 102, can be determined by combining the environmental impact data 406 with the settings of the food processing units 104a-e used to process the food product 102.
[0062] Optionally, in a ninth step 518, meter coverage data 300 may be retrieved, the meter coverage data 300 comprising links between the food processing units of the food processing system 100 and the meters 114a-e, 116a-c, 120a-e, 122 provided in the food processing system 100. In a tenth step 520, the process traceability data 200 and the meter coverage data 300 may be combined to identify first type meters 114a-e, 116a-c and second type meters 120a-e, 122, where the first type meters 114a-e, 116a-c are associated with a single food processing unit used to process the food product 102 and the second type meters 120a-e, 122 are associated with a plurality of food processing units, at least a subset of which are used to process the food product 102. In an eleventh step 522, the first type of utility consumption data 402 for the first type meters 114a-e, 116a-c for time slots in which the food processing units linked to the first type meters 114a-e, 116a-c were used to process the food products 102 may be retrieved. In a twelfth step 524, the second type of utility consumption data 404 for the second type meters 120a-e, 122 for time slots in which a subset of the food processing units linked to the second type meters 120a-e, 122 were used to process food products may be retrieved. In a thirteenth step 526, the allocation key 408 for the second type of utility consumption data 404 may be retrieved. In a fourteenth step 528, the allocation key 408 may be used to allocate a portion of the second type of utility consumption data 404 to the subset of the food processing units. In a fifteenth step 530, a portion of the first type utility consumption data 402 and the second type utility consumption data 404 may be aggregated into total utility consumption data 410 for the food item 102. In a sixteenth step 532, the total utility consumption data 410 may be converted into an environmental impact measurement 412.
[0063] Optionally, in a seventeenth step 534, power production data 414 for different time slots can be received from a power generation plant 416, such as a solar plant, located at the food production site along with the food processing system 100. In an eighteenth step 536, the environmental impact measurement 412 can be adjusted by combining the power usage from the first and / or second utility consumption data 402, 404 with the power production data 414 for the different time slots.
[0064] Optionally, in a nineteenth step 538, weather forecast data 418 can be received, for example from a weather data service provider. In a twentieth step 540, electricity production data 414 for different time slots can be predicted based on the weather forecast data 418. In a twenty-first step 542, a proposed production scheme 420 including start and stop times can be identified based on the predicted alternatives for different time slots in combination with the estimated electricity usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data 402, 404 for the upcoming food processing of the food product 102. In a tenth step 544, the proposed production scheme 420 is provided, for example, as a notification to an operator in the scheduling software.
[0065] Optionally, in a twenty-third step 546 , the food product 102 may be filled into a package 103 , which may be provided with an identification mark 105 , which may be linked to the environmental impact measures 412 in a twenty-fourth step 548 .
[0066] Optionally, in a twenty-fifth step, an identification mark read notification 602 can be received indicating that the identification mark 105 has been read by the user equipment 600, such as a mobile phone. Then, in a twenty-sixth step 552, a location request 604 can be sent to the user equipment 600. In a twenty-seventh step 554, in response to the location request 604, user equipment location data 606 can be received. In a twenty-eighth step 556, the identification mark 105 can be used to search for food production plant location data 608. In a twenty-ninth step 558, a transportation environmental impact measurement 610 can be determined based on the user equipment location data 606 and the food production plant location data 608, for example, the distance between two locations can be used to estimate the environmental impact of transportation between the two locations. In a thirtieth step 560, the transportation environmental impact measurement 610 is sent to the user equipment 600 so that it can be communicated to a user of the user equipment. Alternatively or additionally, the environmental impact measurements 412 determined in the seventh step 514 may further comprise adding the transportation environmental impact measurements 610 to the environmental impact measurements 422 such that the environmental impact of transportation is also taken into account.
[0067] Optionally, as an alternative to the twenty-third step 546 to the thirtieth step 560, in a thirty-first step 562, the food product 102 can be filled into the package 103, and in a thirty-second step 564, text and / or numbers corresponding to the environmental impact measures 412 can be printed on the package 103.
[0068] Optionally, in a thirty-third step 566, food product ingredient environmental impact measurements 422 may be received and linked to the food ingredient 101, and the seventh step 514 may further comprise adding the food product ingredient environmental impact measurements 422 to the environmental impact measurements 412 or taking this into account in any other way when determining the environmental impact measurements 412, i.e. the total environmental impact of the food product 102.
[0069] Optionally, in a thirty-fourth step, a packaging material batch 124 arranged to be formed into a package 103 may be received. In a thirty-fifth step 570, a packaging material batch identification code 126 arranged on the packaging material batch 124 may be read. In a thirty-sixth step 572, a request for a packaging material environmental impact measure 424 linked to the packaging material batch identification code 126 may be transmitted. In a thirty-seventh step 574, a packaging material environmental impact measurement value 424 linked to the packaging material batch identification code 126 may be received in response to the request. In a seventh step 514, in which the environmental impact measurement value 514 may be determined, the method may further comprise adding the packaging material environmental impact measurement value 424 or taking the packaging material environmental impact measurement value 424 into account in any other way.
[0070] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of how the environmental impacts of transport can be considered in more detail.
[0071] Prior to consuming the food product 102, the user may read the identification mark 105 on the package 103. Upon reading the identification mark 105, an identification mark read confirmation 602 may be transmitted from the user device 600 to the data processing device 112. For example, the identification mark 105 may be a QR code linked to a set of instructions that triggers the transmission of the identification mark read confirmation 602 to the data processing device 112. The transmission of the identification mark read confirmation 602 may require consent from the user before being executed.
[0072] In response to the identification mark reading confirmation 602, a location request 604 may be sent from the data processing device 112 to the user equipment 600. In response to this request, user location data 606 may be sent from the user equipment 600, which may be a mobile phone equipped with a camera, to the data processing device 112. Furthermore, food plant location data 608, i.e. the location of the food production site, may be provided to the data processing device 112. By having information on both the location where the food product 102 is consumed and the location where the food product 102 was produced, a transportation environmental impact measure 610 is made. As mentioned above, this may be taken into account when determining the environmental impact measure 412, but may also be presented to the user via the user equipment 600 alone. Although only one food plant is illustrated, multiple food plants may be involved and the food plant location data 608 may comprise multiple locations. For example, the food product 102 may be processed at two different sites, packaged at a third site and transported to a distribution center at a fourth site. All these sites may form the basis of the food plant location data 608. Furthermore, the transportation method between the different sites may also be taken into account.
[0073] From the foregoing description, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not limited thereto and may be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject matter defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method (500) for monitoring a food processing system (100) configured to produce a food product (102) using a data processing device (112), the method comprising: receiving (502) process traceability data (200) related to the food product (102), the process traceability data (200) comprising information regarding which food processing units (104a-e) of the food processing system (100) were involved in processing the food product (102) and information regarding during which time slots the food processing units were involved in processing the food product (102); receiving (504) process event data (202) associated with the food processing unit of the food processing system (100), the process event data (202) comprising information regarding state changes of the food processing unit that occurred during processing of the food product (102) and information regarding the time at which the state changes occurred; receiving (506) settings (204) of said food processing unit (104a-e) associated with different states; determining (508) settings to be used for the food processing unit (104a-e) during different time slots by combining the process event data (202) with settings (204) of the food processing unit associated with the different states; determining (510) the settings of the food processing unit (104a-e) used to process the food product (102) by combining the process traceability data (200) with the settings used for the food processing unit during different time slots; providing (512) settings for the food processing units (104a-e) used to process the food products (102); Method (500).
2. receiving (514) environmental impact data (406) associated with different settings of different food processing units (104a-e); determining (516) an environmental impact metric (412), such as a carbon footprint, of the food product (102) by combining the settings of the food processing unit (104a-e) used to process the food product (102) with the environmental impact data (406); The method of claim 1.
3. retrieving (518) meter coverage data (300), the meter coverage data (300) comprising links between the food processing units of the food processing system (100) and meters (114a-e, 116a-c, 120a-e, 122) installed in the food processing system (100); combining (520) the process traceability data (200) with the meter coverage data (300) to identify a first type of meter (114a-e, 116a-c) and a second type of meter (120a-e, 122), wherein the first type of meter (114a-e, 116a-c) is associated with a single food processing unit used to process the food product (102) and the second type of meter (120a-e, 122) is associated with a plurality of food processing units, at least a subset of which is used to process the food product (102); retrieving (522) first-type utility consumption data (402) of the first-type meters (114a-e, 116a-c) for time slots in which the food processing units linked to the first-type meters (114a-e, 116a-c) were used to process the food products (102); retrieving (524) second-type utility consumption data (404) of the second-type meters (120a-e, 122) for time slots in which the subset of food processing units linked to the second-type meters (120a-e, 122) were used to process the food products (102); retrieving (526) a distribution key (408) for said second type of utility consumption data (404); allocating (528) a portion of the second type of utility cost data (404) to a subset of the food processing units using the allocation key (408); aggregating (530) the first type of utility consumption data (402) and a portion of the second type of utility consumption data (404) into total utility consumption data (410) for the food product (102); converting (532) the total utility consumption data (410) into environmental impact measurements (412); The method of claim 2.
4. the first and / or second utility consumption data includes water usage, electricity usage, pressurized air usage, sterile air usage, food waste generation, and / or chemical usage such as cleaning agents; The method of claim 3.
5. receiving (534) power production data (414) for different time slots from a power generation plant (416), such as a solar plant, installed at the food production site in conjunction with the food processing system (100); adjusting (536) the environmental impact measurements (412) by combining the power usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data (402, 404) with the power production data (414) for the different time slots. The method of claim 4.
6. receiving (538) weather forecast data (418); predicting (540) power production data (414) for different time slots based on the weather forecast data (418); identifying (542) a proposed production scheme (420) including start and stop times based on a combination of forecast alternatives for different time slots and estimated power usage of the first and / or second utility consumption data (402, 404) for the upcoming food processing of the food product (102); providing (544) the proposed production scheme (420). The method of claim 5.
7. Filling (546) the food product (102) into a package (103), the package (103) being provided with an identification mark (105); linking (548) the identification mark (105) to the environmental impact measure (412). The method of claim 2.
8. the identification mark (105) is linked to a set of instructions configured to be executed on the user device (600) when the identification mark (105) is read by the user device (600); receiving (550) an identification mark read confirmation (602) indicating that the identification mark (105) has been read by the user device (600); Sending (552) a location information request (604) to the user device (600); receiving (554) location data (606) for the user device in response to the location information request (604); Retrieving (556) location data (608) of a food production plant using said identification mark (105); determining (558) a transportation environmental impact measurement (610) based on the user device location data (606) and the food production plant location data (608); The method of claim 7.
9. Filling (562) said food product (102) into a package (103); and printing (564) on the package (103) text and / or numbers corresponding to the environmental impact measures (412). The method of claim 2.
10. the different states comprise a start-up state in which the food processing units (104a-d, 106a-c) are prepared for food production, a recovery state in which the food products (102) held in the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) are recovered in a recovery tank, a clean-in-place state in which all or part of the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) are cleaned, and a closed state in which the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) are emptied. The method of claim 1.
11. receiving (566) food ingredient environmental impact measurements (422) linked to the food ingredient (101); determining (514) the food ingredient environmental impact measures (412) further comprises adding the food ingredient environmental impact measures (422); The method of claim 2.
12. receiving (568) a batch of packaging material (124) arranged to be formed into said package (103); reading (570) a packaging material batch identification code (126) disposed on said packaging material batch (124); Transmitting (572) a packaging material environmental impact measurement request (424) linked to said packaging material batch identification code (126); receiving (574) in response to said request packaging material environmental impact measurements (424) linked to said packaging material batch identification code (126); determining the environmental impact measure (514) further comprises adding the packaging environmental impact measure (424); The method of claim 2.
13. A food processing system (100) configured to produce a food product (102), the food processing system comprising: a food processing unit (104a-e, 106a-c); a data processing device (112), The data processing device includes: a traceability module (128) configured to process process traceability data (200) related to the food product (102), the process traceability data (200) including information regarding which food processing units of the food processing system (100) were involved in processing the food product (102) and information regarding during which time slots the food processing units were involved in processing the food product (102); a process event module (130) configured to receive process event data (202) associated with the food processing unit of the food production system (100), the process event data (202) including information regarding state changes of the food processing unit that occurred during processing of the food product (102) and information regarding the time at which the state changes occurred; a setting and state identification module (132) configured to receive settings (204) of processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) associated with different states and determine settings to be used for the food processing units during different time slots by combining the process event data (202) with the settings (204) of the food processing units associated with the different states; a food setting module (134) configured to determine settings of the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) used to process the food product (102) by combining the process traceability data (200) with settings (204) used for the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) during the different time slots. Food processing systems.
14. an environmental impact metric determination module (136) configured to receive environmental impact data (406) associated with different settings of different food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) and determine an environmental impact metric (412), such as a carbon footprint, of the food product (102) by combining the environmental impact data (406) with settings of the food processing units (104a-e, 106a-c) used to process the food product (102), The food processing system according to claim 13.
15. the different states include an activation state in which the food processing unit is prepared for food production, a recovery state in which food held in the food processing unit is recovered in a recovery tank, a cleaning state in which all or part of the food processing unit is cleaned, and a closed state in which the food processing unit is emptied. The food processing system according to claim 13.