Information providing system and food product

Abstract

To enhance consumer confidence in food products and allow consumers to comfortably choose food products.SOLUTION: A food product is provided, compromising a food 1 and identification information 6, where the identification information 6 is designed to enable access to a website with information on total weight of food additives considered to be carryover among food additives used in production of the food 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system and a food product. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information providing system and a food product that enable consumers to select products with confidence.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the safety of products, especially food products, has attracted the attention of consumers. When consumers select products, they are interested in what the products themselves and their raw materials are.

[0003] Therefore, product providers provide products by attaching labels with information such as the ingredients, origin, and manufacturing date of the products and their raw materials to the product packaging or recording the information on an IC tag.

[0004] However, simply attaching information that has been described or recorded to products makes it easy to tamper with or forge the information. In fact, there are cases where information has been tampered with or forged, resulting in low credibility among consumers and making it difficult for consumers to select products with confidence.

[0005] Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has proposed a technique of providing food by attaching a sample of raw material powder obtained by pulverizing the raw materials of the food, rather than simply attaching information that has been described or recorded to the food (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] By the way, the quality of various products including food is strongly influenced by various factors in the process until the product is provided to consumers.

[0008] Therefore, although the raw material powder sample of food is a factor from which information about the quality of food can be obtained, it is only one factor. Just by the technique described in Patent Document 1 of attaching the raw material powder sample to food and providing the food, it may not be sufficient to achieve the purpose of allowing consumers to safely select products.

[0009] The present invention was devised in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an information providing system and a food product that enable consumers to more sufficiently and safely select products.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer. Based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, on the condition that it has received a request to output information on the food additives used in the food from the consumer's terminal, a determination means for determining, by a machine learning model, the addition amount of a specific food additive, which is a food additive regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food, and an information output means for outputting the information on the addition amount of the specific food additive determined by the determination means to the consumer's terminal.

[0011] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, and includes a recording means for recording information on specific food additives that are food additives regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food, and, on the condition that it has received a request for output of information on the food additives used in the food from the consumer's terminal, selection means for selecting, from among the information on the specific food additives recorded in the recording means, information on the specific food additives that are candidates for output based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, and information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives selected by the selection means to the consumer's terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, and includes a search means for searching for information on specific food additives that are food additives regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal on the condition that it has received a request for output of information on the food additives used in the food from the consumer's terminal, and information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives searched by the search means to the consumer's terminal.

[0013] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, and includes a search signal output means for outputting a search signal for searching for information on specific food additives that are food additives regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food to a predetermined search means on the condition that it has received a request for output of information on the food additives used in the food from the consumer's terminal, and information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives searched by the search means to the consumer's terminal.

[0014] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, and based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, on the condition that it has received a request to output information on the food additives used in the food, generates information on specific food additives that are food additives regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food, and an information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives generated by the generation means to the consumer's terminal.

[0015] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, and outputs a generation signal for generating information on specific food additives that are food additives regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food to a predetermined generation means based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, on the condition that it has received a request to output information on the food additives used in the food, and an information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives generated by the generation means to the consumer's terminal.

[0016] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention is for a food product having an accessory that is a predetermined food and a food additive or analogue having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or analogue having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or analogue having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or analogue having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or analogue having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or analogue having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or analogue having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or analogue having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, or a food additive or analogue having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food. The information providing system outputs information on the food additives used in the food in response to a request from a consumer. On the condition that it has received from the consumer's terminal a request to output information on the food additives used in the food, based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, a determination means determines the addition amount of a specific food additive that is a food additive regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food by means of a machine learning model, and an information output means outputs information on the addition amount of the specific food additive determined by the determination means together with information on at least one of the total amount of the food additives used in the food and the total amount of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food to the consumer's terminal.

[0017] By the way, for "food additives regarded as carry-overs", their display may be exempted, and consumers may not necessarily be able to obtain sufficient information about "food additives regarded as carry-overs" from food labels alone.

[0018] Therefore, in the information providing system of the present invention, by various means, the output of information on "food additives regarded as carry-overs" is realized, and by fully conveying the information on "food additives regarded as carry-overs" to consumers, consumers can choose food with more peace of mind.

[0019] Here, when the information providing system includes a "determination means" for determining the addition amount of a specific food additive by a machine learning model, the "information on the addition amount of the specific food additive" can be output from the information output means to the consumer's terminal.

[0020] Also, when the information providing system includes a "recording means" for recording information on a specific food additive, the "information on the specific food additive" can be output from the information output means to the consumer's terminal without exchanging the "information on the specific food additive" with the outside (outside the information providing system).

[0021] In addition, when the information providing system includes a "search means" for searching for information on a specific food additive, the "information on the specific food additive" can be output from the information output means to the consumer's terminal by exchanging the "information on the specific food additive" with the outside (outside the information providing system), even if the "information on the specific food additive" is not recorded in the information providing system.

[0022] Similarly, even when the information providing system includes a "search signal output means" that outputs a search signal for searching for information on specific food additives, and does not record the "information on specific food additives" within the information providing system, it can cooperate with external search means and exchange the "information on specific food additives" with the outside (outside the information providing system), so that the "information on specific food additives" can be output from the information output means to the consumer's terminal.

[0023] Here, when the search means searches for the "information on specific food additives" recorded in an external information recording means separate from the information providing system (for example, when searching for a recording means that records only the "information on specific food additives"), since the search target is limited, rapid search can be realized and the "information on specific food additives" can be searched smoothly.

[0024] Also, when the search means searches for the "information on specific food additives" publicly available on the Internet, it can search from a huge amount of information including the latest "information on specific food additives", and it can be expected to find the "information on specific food additives" that meets the needs of consumers.

[0025] Furthermore, when the search means searches for the "information on specific food additives" recorded in an Internet information recording means that records information publicly available on the Internet, in terms of setting only the information recorded in the Internet information recording means as the search target, compared with the case of setting the "information on specific food additives (not limited to the information recorded in the Internet information recording means, the information publicly available on the Internet)" publicly available on the Internet as the search target, although it is inferior in terms of the amount of information to be searched, through creating an index for searching, the search results can be obtained faster.

[0026] Also, when the information providing system includes a "generation means" for generating information on specific food additives, even if the "information on specific food additives" is not recorded within the information providing system and externally (outside the information providing system), the "information on specific food additives" can be generated, and the information output means can output the "information on specific food additives" to the consumer's terminal.

[0027] Similarly, when the information providing system includes a "generation signal output means" for outputting a generation signal for generating information on specific food additives, even if the "information on specific food additives" is not recorded within the information providing system and externally (outside the information providing system), the "information on specific food additives" can be generated in cooperation with an external generation means, and the information output means can output the "information on specific food additives" to the consumer's terminal.

[0028] Also, when the reference information generation means generates reference information (reference information for the "information on specific food additives") based on the selection criteria information, reference information can be obtained for use when selecting the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target from among the "information on specific food additives" generated by the generation means.

[0029] Note that the reference information generated by the reference information generation means is not only used for reference when selecting the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target from among the "information on specific food additives" generated by the generation means, but may also be used for reference when selecting the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target from among the "information on specific food additives" selected by the selection means or searched by the search means.

[0030] Also, when the information selection means selects the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target based on reference information (the reference information generated by the reference information generation means or the reference information transmitted from the consumer's terminal), it becomes possible to select the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target based on the information transmitted by the consumer (the "selection criteria information" or "reference information") without the consumer having to select specific "information on specific food additives". Note that the "information on specific food additives" to be the output target selected by the information selection means may be singular or plural.

[0031] Also, when the consumer transmits selection criterion information as the "criterion for information they want to select", the reference information generated based on the selection criterion information (criterion for information they want to select) can be regarded as "exemplary information as the information to be output (i.e., the information the consumer wants to select)". Therefore, when transmitting selection criterion information as the "criterion for information they want to select", "information on specific food additives" with a high similarity to the reference information (exemplary information) will be selected.

[0032] Similarly, when the consumer transmits reference information as the "reference information for information they want to select", "information on specific food additives" with a high similarity to the reference information (exemplary information) will be selected.

[0033] On the other hand, when the consumer transmits selection criterion information as the "criterion for information they do not want to select", the reference information generated based on the selection criterion information (criterion for information they do not want to select) can be regarded as "anti-teacher information of the information to be output (i.e., the information the consumer does not want to select)". Therefore, when transmitting selection criterion information as the "criterion for information they do not want to select", "information on specific food additives" with a low similarity to the reference information (anti-teacher information) will be selected.

[0034] Note that compared with the case of transmitting the "criterion for information they do not want to select" as the selection criterion information, when transmitting the "criterion for information they want to select" as the selection criterion information, the consumer's desired information can be more directly specified. Therefore, considering the point of fully reflecting the consumer's thoughts, it is more preferable to transmit the "criterion for information they want to select" as the selection criterion information.

[0035] Similarly, considering the point of more directly identifying the information that consumers want to select and fully reflecting the consumers' thoughts, it is preferable to transmit "reference information of the information to be selected" as reference information.

[0036] In addition, when the generation means reads the identification information displayed on the food by the consumer's terminal, identifies the food based on the information transmitted from the consumer's terminal, and generates "information on specific food additives" used in the identified food, even if the consumer does not identify the "target food (the food for which the 'information on specific food additives' is generated)", the "target food" can be identified based on the information transmitted from the consumer's terminal. That is, just by the consumer reading the identification information, the "target food" can be identified.

[0037] Also, the total weight of the food additives used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic with the same weight as the total weight of the food additives used in the food. Furthermore, the total volume of the food additives used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic with the same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food. Similarly, the total volume of the food additives used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic with an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food.

[0038] Note that "apparently same volume" means that it looks like the same volume. For example, when the total volume of the food additives used in the food is 1 cm 3 , a hollow cube of 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm, although its actual volume is less than 1 cm 3 due to the existence of the hollow part, it corresponds to an apparently same volume.

[0039] In addition, the total weight of the "food additives regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food. Furthermore, the total volume of the "food additives regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food. Similarly, the total volume of the "food additives regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food.

[0040] In addition, the total weight of the "food additives excluding those regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food. Furthermore, the total volume of the "food additives excluding those regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food. Similarly, the total volume of the "food additives excluding those regarded as carry-over" used in the food can be easily grasped by an accessory that is a food additive or a mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food.

[0041] In addition, when the information output means outputs the "information on the added amount of a specific food additive" together with the "information on the total amount of food additives used in the food" or the "information on the total amount of food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over)", it is possible to convey to consumers the extent of the added amount of the specific food additive in relation to the total amount of food additives.

[0042] In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the food product of the present invention is a food product comprising a predetermined food and identification information displayed on the food, wherein the identification information can access a website on which information on a specific food additive, which is a food additive regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food, is posted.

[0043] In addition, the food product of the present invention includes a predetermined food, a food additive or a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (however, limited to the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, limited to the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (however, excluding the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, a food additive or a mimic having the same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, excluding the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, or a food additive or a mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of the food additives (however, excluding the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, as an accessory, and the food, or the identification information displayed on the accessory, and is a food product, wherein the identification information is accessible to a website on which information on the amount of a specific food additive, which is a food additive regarded as carry-over among the food additives used in the food, and at least one of the total amount of the food additives used in the food and the total amount of the food additives (however, excluding the food additives regarded as carry-over) used in the food, is posted.

[0044] Here, when the identification information includes access to a website on which "information on a specific food additive" is posted, the "information on a specific food additive" used in the food can be made known to consumers. In addition, when the identification information includes access to a website on which "information on the amount of a specific food additive" is posted, the "information on the amount of a specific food additive" used in the food can be made known to consumers. By informing consumers of "information on specific food additives" and "information on the amounts of specific food additives added", consumers can be even more assured when choosing food.

[0045] Incidentally, the "food" here refers to products obtained by processing unprocessed fresh foods, unprocessed animal foods, and unprocessed plant foods, including mochi, steamed buns, pickles, stir-fried vegetables, steaks, hamburgers, ramen, boxed lunches, bread, milk, cheese, beer, wine, sake, whiskey, frozen foods, canned foods, bottled tea, juice, coffee, soft drinks, etc.

[0046] In addition, the "food" here not only includes secondary products processed from primary products, but also includes secondary products processed from secondary products. For example, it includes omelets manufactured by purchasing seasoned eggs as raw materials and baking them. Furthermore, the "secondary products" here also include secondary products purchased using secondary products as raw materials. For example, it includes boxed lunches filled with purchased omelets using omelets as raw materials.

[0047] Furthermore, the "food additive" here means something added, mixed, moistened, or used in other ways to food for the purpose of food manufacturing, processing, or preservation, and includes chemical seasonings, sweeteners, etc.

Advantages of the Invention

[0048] In the information providing system and food products of the present invention, consumers can safely select products.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0049]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0050] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") will be described. The description will be made in the following order. 1. First Embodiment 2. Second Embodiment 3. Third Embodiment 4. Fourth Embodiment

[0051] <1. First Embodiment> [Description of Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a food product to which the present invention is applied. The food product A shown here has a container 2 that hermetically houses food 1 and a sealed body 4 in the shape of a transparent bag in which a food additive 3 is hermetically enclosed. Note that the food 1 and the food additive 3 are each separately housed, and the container 2 and the sealed body 4 are integrally packaged with a transparent film 5.

[0052] By the way, the main uses of the food additive used for the food 1 include (1) a pH adjuster for preventing the deterioration and discoloration of the food 1 and stabilizing the quality, (2) a bulking agent for increasing the bulk of the food 1, (3) production agents, softeners, emulsifiers, coagulants, etc. necessary for the production and processing of the food 1, (4) sweeteners, colorants, flavorings, brighteners, etc. for improving the flavor, appearance, and color tone of the food 1, (5) preservatives, antioxidants, etc. for improving the preservability of the food 1, and (6) nutrient fortifiers for strengthening the nutritional components of the food 1. For example, when the food 1 is a hamburger, chemical seasonings, preservatives, etc. added in the process of manufacturing the hamburger become the food additives of the food 1.

[0053] Although there are a very large number of types of food additives, an example of classification by purpose and use is shown below. Synthetic quality improvers: Sodium phosphate, phosphates, propylene glycol, etc. Synthetic sweeteners: Sodium saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, etc. Sweeteners: Stevia, etc. Synthetic colorants: Carotenoid pigments, Red No. 3, Red No. 10, Yellow No. 4, copper chlorophyll, Tar pigments, etc. Colorants: Carmine pigment, Clinacy pigment, Gardenia pigment, Carotene pigments, etc. Synthetic antioxidants: Vitamin C, BHT, BHA, erythorbic acid, etc. Synthetic preservatives: Sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, etc. Synthetic seasonings: Amino acids, etc. pH adjusters: Sodium acetate, sodium citrate, malic acid, etc. Thickening polysaccharides: Xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. Acidulants: Citric acid, lactic acid, vitamin C, etc. Chemical seasonings: Amino acids, sodium glutamate, alanine, etc. Fortifiers: Vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C, vitamin A oil, Oily vitamin A fatty acid ester, vitamin B1 hydrochloride, Vitamin B1 nitrate, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), amino acids, Sodium aspartate, alanine, glycine, etc. Bleaching and bactericidal agents: Sodium hypochlorite, diluted benzoyl peroxide, etc. Color developers: Sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, Sodium ascorbate, etc. Antifoaming agents: Silicone resin, etc. Agents for food production: Phosphoric acid, collin phosphates, potassium polyphosphate, etc. Emulsifiers: Glycerol fatty acid esters, sugar esters, etc. Leavening agents: Sodium hydrogen carbonate, potassium hydrogen tartrate, etc. Preservatives: Sorbic acid, Lauryl trimethyl ammonium - 2·4·5, etc. Yeast food: Ammonium chloride, calcined calcium, calcium sulfate, Magnesium chloride, etc. Flavors: Isothiocyanate, vanillin, cinnamaldehyde, Ethyl acetate, etc.

[0054] Here, the food additive 3 enclosed in the enclosure 4 has the same weight as the total weight of the food additives (excluding the food additives regarded as carry - over) used in manufacturing the food 1.

[0055] Also, as shown in Fig. 1, on the container 2, identification information 6 (for example, two - dimensional barcode, etc.) that can access the "information on the total weight of the food additives regarded as carry - over" among the food additives used in manufacturing the food 1 is displayed.

[0056] Here, a URL is recorded in the identification information 6 (two - dimensional barcode, etc.). By reading the identification information 6 with a consumer terminal such as a smartphone, it is possible to access, through the Internet, the website on which the "information on the total weight of the food additives regarded as carry - over" among the food additives used in manufacturing the food 1 is posted.

[0057] Note that the "information on the total weight of the food additives regarded as carry - over" here is the determination result determined by a predetermined addition amount determination means based on the information of the food 1 at the timing when the identification information 6 displayed on the container 2 is read by the consumer terminal.

[0058] In addition, on the website accessible via the identification information 6, information on the total weight of food additives used in manufacturing the food 1, excluding food additives regarded as carry-over, is also posted. That is, information on the total weight of the food additives 3 enclosed in the enclosure 4 is also posted.

[0059] [Effect] In an example of a food product to which the above-described present invention is applied, by posting information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over on the website accessible via the identification information 6, the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" can be conveyed to consumers, enabling consumers to more confidently select the food product A and improving the reliability of the food product.

[0060] In particular, since "food additives regarded as carry-over" are not displayed on the product package, it can be said that conveying the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" to consumers is very important for understanding the quality of the food 1.

[0061] Furthermore, on the website accessible via the identification information 6, information on the total weight of food additives excluding food additives regarded as carry-over is also posted. In other words, both information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over and information on the total weight of food additives excluding food additives regarded as carry-over are posted, further improving the reliability of the food product.

[0062] In addition, by providing the encapsulated body 4 to consumers, it becomes possible to facilitate the understanding of the quality of the food 1. That is, generally, although the display of food additives used in the product is made on the product package, since the names of food additives are specialized and unfamiliar, even if the display of food additives is made on the product package, it is difficult to perceptually understand. On the other hand, by providing the encapsulated body 4 to consumers, the total weight of the food additives used in manufacturing the food 1 can be easily understood, and the facilitation of the understanding of the quality of the food 1 can be realized.

[0063] [Modification Example 1] In the above-described first embodiment, the case of including the encapsulated body 4 as an accessory has been described as an example, but the encapsulated body 4 is not necessarily required. As shown in FIG. 2, it may be sufficient to only display the identification information 6 on the container 2 that houses the food 1 in a sealed state.

[0064] [Modification Example 2] In the above-described first embodiment, the case of a website on which the "information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" is posted has been described as an example, but instead of, or in addition to, the "information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over", the "information on food additives regarded as carry-over (information other than the addition amount)" may be posted.

[0065] Here, the "information on food additives regarded as carry-over" is, at the timing when the identification information 6 displayed on the container 2 is read by the consumer terminal, based on the information of the food 1, the "information selected by the predetermined additive information selection means", the "information retrieved by the predetermined additive information search means", the "information generated by the predetermined additive information generation means", etc.

[0066] [Modification Example 3] In the above-described first embodiment, as an accessory, the case of "food additives having the same weight as the total weight of food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over)" has been described as an example, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, it may be "a mimic having the same weight as the total weight of food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over)", "a food additive or mimic having the same volume as the total volume of food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over)", or "a food additive or mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of food additives (excluding food additives regarded as carry-over)". Also, it may be "a food additive or mimic having the same weight as the total weight of food additives (limited to food additives regarded as carry-over)", "a food additive or mimic having the same volume as the total volume of food additives (limited to food additives regarded as carry-over)", or "a food additive or mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of food additives (limited to food additives regarded as carry-over)". Furthermore, it may be "a food additive or mimic having the same weight as the total weight of food additives (including food additives regarded as carry-over)", "a food additive or mimic having the same volume as the total volume of food additives (including food additives regarded as carry-over)", or "a food additive or mimic having an apparently same volume as the total volume of food additives (including food additives regarded as carry-over)".

[0067] <2. Second Embodiment> [Description of Configuration] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system, which is an example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied.

[0068] The food information providing system 11 shown in FIG. 3 is configured to be able to communicate various information with a consumer terminal 13 used by a consumer via the Internet 12.

[0069] The food information providing system 11 also includes a food information recording means 14, an addition amount determination means 15, an additive information recording means 16, an additive information selection means 17, a selection criterion information recording means 18, a model information generation means 19, an information selection means 20, and an information output means 21.

[0070] Here, the food information recording means 14 records the information of the food 1 transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 used by the consumer.

[0071] Further, the additive amount determination means 15 determines the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry - over" among the food additives used in manufacturing the food 1 based on the "information of the food 1" recorded by the food information recording means 14. Specifically, it is determined based on the machine learning model which "total weight of food additives regarded as carry - over" the "information of the food 1" transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 corresponds to.

[0072] Also, information on various food additives (hereinafter referred to as "additive information") is recorded in the additive information recording means 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the additive information recording means 16 in the present embodiment separately records the "information 16A of food additives used as sweeteners", the "information 16B of food additives used as colorants", the "information 16C of food additives used as preservatives", the "information 16D of food additives used as thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents or pastes", the "information 16E of food additives used as antioxidants", the "information 16F of food additives used as color developers", the "information 16G of food additives used as bleaching agents", and the "information 16H of food additives used as fungicides or insect repellents" according to the uses of the additives.

[0073] Further, the additive information selection means 17 selects the information of the additives that are output candidates from the additive information recorded in the additive information recording means 16 based on the "information of the food 1" recorded by the food information recording means 14.

[0074] Specifically, for the "food additives regarded as carry-over used in the production of Food 1", when it is "Saccharin Na", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16A of Food Additives Used as Sweeteners"; when it is "Red 3", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16B of Food Additives Used as Colorants"; when it is "Potassium Sorbate", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16C of Food Additives Used as Preservatives"; when it is "Pectin", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16D of Food Additives Used as Thickening Agents, Stabilizers, Gelling Agents or Sizing Agents"; when it is "Vitamin C", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16E of Food Additives Used as Antioxidants"; when it is "Sodium Nitrite", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16F of Food Additives Used as Color Developers"; when it is "Sodium Hypochlorite", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16G of Food Additives Used as Bleaching Agents"; when it is "OPP", select the additive information recorded in "Additive Information 16H of Food Additives Used as Antimildew Agents or Insect Repellents".

[0075] In addition, the selection criterion information recording means 18 records the "selection criterion information for selecting additive information (hereinafter simply referred to as'selection criterion information')" transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 used by the consumer. In this embodiment, the selection criterion information recording means 18 records the "criterion for additive information that the consumer wants to select" as the selection criterion information.

[0076] In addition, the exemplary information generating means 19 generates exemplary information of additive information (hereinafter simply referred to as "exemplary information"). The exemplary information generating means 19 is an example of the "reference information generating means".

[0077] Here, when the reference information generation means 19 has the selection reference information recorded in the selection reference information recording means 18, it inputs the "selection reference information" into a general-purpose generative AI (generative AI), not shown in the figure, and obtains the output result of the generative AI to generate reference information. When new reference information is generated, it will be registered (overwritten) in place of the previous reference information.

[0078] For example, when the following are recorded in the selection reference information: (1) The description is made using plain language without using technical terms. (2) The description uses specific data. (3) The description includes the impact on pregnant women. When these (1) to (3) contents are input into the generative AI, reference information is generated.

[0079] In addition, when the reference information is generated, the information selection means 20 selects the additive information with a high similarity to the "reference information" from the additive information selected by the additive information selection means 17.

[0080] That is, when the "selection reference information" is recorded, the reference information generation means 19 generates reference information, and then the information selection means 20 selects the additive information with a high similarity to the reference information as the output target.

[0081] In addition, the information output means 21 outputs the information on the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" determined by the addition amount determination means 15 and the additive information selected by the information selection means 20 to the consumer terminal 13. Specifically, the information on the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" determined by the addition amount determination means 15 and the additive information selected by the information selection means 20 are posted on a website that can be accessed by the consumer terminal 13 reading the identification information 6.

[0082] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the usage method of the above-described food information providing system 11. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the consumer (new customer) 40 collects information when considering whether to receive the food product A provided by the food provider 10, and the explanation will be given based on this premise.

[0083] [1. Recording of various information] In an example of the usage method of the food information providing system 11 of the present invention, in order for the consumer 40 to obtain information on food additives, various information needs to be recorded in the food information providing system 11. Therefore, the recording of various information in the food information providing system 11 will be described.

[0084] In an example of the usage method of the food information providing system 11 of the present invention, first, the food provider 10 uses a food provider terminal (not shown) to transmit additive information to the food information providing system 11 (step indicated by reference numeral (1) in FIG. 5).

[0085] Specifically, "information 16A on food additives used as sweeteners", "information 16B on food additives used as colorants", "information 16C on food additives used as preservatives", "information 16D on food additives used as thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents or pastes", "information 16E on food additives used as antioxidants", "information 16F on food additives used as color developers", "information 16G on food additives used as bleaching agents", and "information 16H on food additives used as fungicides or insect repellents" are transmitted.

[0086] After the recording of various information as described above, it becomes possible to provide various information to the consumer 40.

[0087] Here, only the case where various information is recorded for the food product A provided by the food provider 10 is described, but the information recorded in the food information providing system 11 is not limited to that related to "the food product A provided by the food provider 10", but also includes that related to "other foods provided by the food provider 10" and "foods provided by food providers other than the food provider 10". That is, in the present embodiment, the case where the consumer 40 obtains information regarding the food product A provided by the food provider 10 (specifically, information on food additives regarded as carry-over) will be described as an example (described later). However, the food information providing system 11 can also provide information regarding "foods other than the food product A provided by the food provider 10" and "foods provided by food providers other than the food provider 10".

[0088] [2. Provision of Various Information] Regarding the food product A (Food 1) provided by the food provider 10, the consumer 40 who wishes to obtain various information accesses the food information providing system 11 via the Internet 12 using the consumer terminal 13 (not shown in FIG. 5) (step indicated by reference numeral (2) in FIG. 5).

[0089] Specifically, when the identification information (identifier such as a two-dimensional barcode or a color code) 6 displayed on the container 2 of the food product A (here, meaning the food product A lined up in the store) is read by the consumer terminal 13, the information on the food product A (Food 1) is transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 to the food information providing system 11, and the transmitted information on the food product A (Food 1) is recorded in the food information recording means 14. Based on the information transmitted to the food information providing system 11 (the information recorded in the food information recording means 14), the food 1 that the consumer 40 desires information about will be specified.

[0090] Subsequently, when the information on the food product A (Food 1) is recorded in the food information recording means 14, based on the recorded information on the food product A (Food 1), the addition amount determination means 15 determines the "total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over".

[0091] Also, when the information on the food product A (Food 1) is recorded in the food information recording means 14, based on the recorded information on the food product A (Food 1), the additive information selection means 17 selects "additive information (output candidate additive information)" that becomes an output candidate from among the additive information recorded in the additive information recording means 16.

[0092] Next, when the identification information 6 is read by the consumer terminal 13, the "selection criterion information" pre-recorded in the consumer terminal 13 is transmitted to the food information providing system 11 and recorded in the selection criterion information recording means 18. For example, selection criterion information such as "(1) explanations are made using plain expressions without using technical terms, (2) explanations are made using specific data, and (3) explanations of the effects on pregnant women are included" is transmitted.

[0093] If the "selection criterion information" is not recorded in the consumer terminal 13, when the identification information 6 is read, the consumer will be prompted to input the "selection criterion information".

[0094] Subsequently, when the "selection criterion information" is recorded in the selection criterion information recording means 18, the exemplary information generating means 19 generates exemplary information, and the information selecting means 20 selects the additive information to be output from the "output candidate additive information".

[0095] Then, when the information selecting means 20 selects the additive information, the information output means 21 outputs the additive information to be output together with the "information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" (the "information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" and the additive information are posted on the website and displayed on the consumer terminal 13).

[0096] After that, when the consumer 40 receives the food product A provided by the food provider 10 (when purchasing the food product A of the food provider 10), the food provider 10 provides the food product A to the consumer.

[0097] [Effect] In the food information providing system 11 to which the above-described present invention is applied, when a consumer requests information on food additives in Food 1, by outputting "information on the total weight of food additives regarded as carry-over" and "information on food additives regarded as carry-over", among the food additives used in manufacturing Food 1, "information on food additives regarded as carry-over" can be sufficiently conveyed to the consumer, and the consumer can more securely select food.

[0098] Also, since the consumer 40 only transmits "selection criterion information" and the information selection means 20 selects additive information having a high similarity to "additive information that the consumer 40 wants to select", there is no need for the consumer to select specific additive information from among a plurality of pieces of additive information. And since the information selection means 20 can select optimal (i.e., in line with the selection intention of the consumer 40) additive information, it can be expected that "the additive information of Food 1" will be more fully conveyed to the consumer.

[0099] [Modification Example 4] In the above-described second embodiment, the case where "selection criterion information" is transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 and the exemplary information generation means 19 generates exemplary information is taken as an example, but "exemplary information" may be transmitted from the consumer terminal 13. In this case, instead of the "selection criterion information recording means 18 and the exemplary information generation means 19", an "exemplary information recording means" is provided, the "exemplary information" transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 is recorded in the exemplary information recording means, and based on the "exemplary information" recorded in the exemplary information recording means, the information selection means 20 selects additive information.

[0100] [Modification Example 5] In the above-described second embodiment, the case where the information selection means 20 selects additive information based on "exemplary information" is taken as an example for explanation, but the information output means 21 may output the "output candidate additive information" selected by the additive information selection means 17. That is, instead of selecting from the "output candidate additive information", the information output means 21 may output all of the "output candidate additive information".

[0101] [Modification Example 6] In the above-described second embodiment, the food 1 is specified by reading the identification information 6 displayed on the container 2. However, it is sufficient if the food 1 can be specified, and it is not limited to the method of reading the identification information 6. The consumer 40 who has accessed the food information providing system 11 may select the food product A (food 1). Specifically, by accessing the food information providing system 11 from the consumer terminal 13, a list of food providers capable of providing information is displayed on the consumer terminal 13, and the consumer 40 selects "Food Provider 10" from the displayed list. Then, when "Food Provider 10" is selected, a list of foods provided by Food Provider 10 is displayed, and the consumer 40 selects "Food Product A (Food 1)" from the displayed list.

[0102] <3. Third Embodiment> [Configuration of the Present Invention] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system which is another example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied. In the following, the description will be centered on the points different from the second embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0103] The food information providing system 31 shown in FIG. 6 has an additive information search means 32 (in the third embodiment, instead of the "additive information recording means 16" and the "additive information selection means 17" of the second embodiment, the "additive information search means 32" is provided).

[0104] Here, the additive information search means 32 is configured to be able to access an additive information recording means 33 provided separately from the food information providing system 31. Then, the additive information recording means 33 records various additive information (the additive information recorded in the "additive information recording means 16" in the second embodiment), and the additive information search means 32 accesses the additive information recording means 33 to search for the additive information.

[0105] That is, when a consumer requests information on the food additives of Food 1 (specifically, when the identification information 6 shown in FIG. 1 is read), the additive information search means 32 searches for the "additive information (output candidate additive information)" that becomes an output candidate from among the additive information recorded in the additive information recording means 33 based on the information of the food product A (Food 1).

[0106] [Effect] In the food information providing system 31 to which the present invention described above is applied, since the additive information search means 32 can search for the additive information, even when the additive information is not recorded in the food information providing system 31, the information output means 21 can output the additive information to the consumer terminal 13.

[0107] <4. Fourth Embodiment> [Configuration of the Present Invention] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system, which is still another example of the information providing system to which the present invention is applied. Hereinafter, the description will be centered on the points different from the second embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0108] The food information providing system 41 shown in FIG. 7 has an additive information generating means 42 (instead of the "additive information recording means 16" and the "additive information selecting means 17" in the second embodiment, the fourth embodiment has an "additive information generating means 42").

[0109] Here, the additive information generating means 42 is configured to be able to access a generating AI 43 provided separately from the food information providing system 41.

[0110] For example, regarding the "information on food additive aaa", by using the "information on the name of Food 1" as input information and inputting it into a general-purpose generative AI (generating AI) 43 to obtain the output result of the generative AI 43, the "information on food additive aaa (additive information)" is generated. Additionally, by adding the information (preferences) of the consumer, who is the destination (output destination) of the additive information, to the input information, additive information that better meets the needs of the consumer can be generated.

[0111] That is, when the consumer requests information on the food additive of Food 1 (specifically, when the identification information 6 shown in FIG. 1 is read), the additive information generation means 42 generates "additive information (output candidate additive information)" that is a candidate for output based on the information of Food Product A (Food 1).

[0112] [Effect] In the food information providing system 41 to which the above-described present invention is applied, since the additive information generation means 42 can generate additive information, even when no additive information is recorded inside or outside the food information providing system 41, the information output means 21 can output the additive information to the consumer terminal 13.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0113] 1 Food 2 Container 3 Food Additive 4 Enclosure 5 Transparent Film 6 Identification Information 10 Food Provider 11 Food Information Providing System 12 Internet 13 Consumer Terminal 14 Food Information Recording Means 15 Addition Amount Determination Means 16 Additive Information Recording Means 17 Additive Information Selection Means 18 Selection Criterion Information Recording Means 19 Model Information Generation Means 20 Information Selection Means 21 Information Output Means 31 Food information providing system 32 Additive information search means 33 Additive information recording means 41 Food information providing system 42 Additive information recording means 43 Generative AI

Claims

1. An information providing system that outputs information on food additives used in a predetermined food in response to a request from a consumer, based on the condition that the generation AI is received from the consumer's terminal that it desires to output information on the food additives used in the food, and inputs the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal into the generation AI to generate information on specific food additives that are regarded as carry - over among the food additives used in the food; reference information generation means for inputting the selection criterion information, which is the selection criterion information for selecting the information on the specific food additives, transmitted from the consumer's terminal into the generation AI to generate reference information on the information on the specific food additives; information selection means for selecting, as the information on the specific food additives to be the output target, the information on the specific food additives having a high similarity with the reference information or the information on the specific food additives having a low similarity with the reference information from among the information on the specific food additives generated by the generation means; and information output means for outputting the information on the specific food additives selected by the information selection means to the consumer's terminal. Information providing system.

2. The selection criterion information is a criterion for the information to be selected, and the information selection means selects the information on the specific food additives having a high similarity with the reference information. The information providing system according to Claim 1.

3. The selection criterion information is a criterion for the information not to be selected, and the information selection means selects the information on the specific food additives having a low similarity with the reference information. The information providing system according to Claim 1.

4. The generation means identifies the food based on the information transmitted from the consumer's terminal by reading the identification information displayed on the food at the consumer's terminal, and generates information on the specific food additives used in the identified food. The information providing system according to claim 1.

5. Determination means for determining, by means of a machine learning model, the amount of the specific food additive used in the food based on the information on the food transmitted from the consumer's terminal, on the condition that the consumer's terminal has received a request to output information on the food additive used in the food. The information output means outputs information on the amount of the specific food additive determined by the determination means. The information providing system according to claim 1.

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