Dynamic Nutritional Labeling for Food Transport Preservation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The food and beverage industry lacks a system to track, preserve, and communicate changes in nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values of nutritional substances throughout their lifecycle, from creation to consumption, leading to a lack of information available to consumers and inefficiencies in the supply chain.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic nutritional substance labeling system that interacts with storage, packaging, and logistic transport systems to maintain and minimize degradation of nutritional and aesthetic values, providing real-time information on changes and residual values through unique identifiers and sensors, allowing for informed decision-making by consumers and industry participants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional static labeling is used for nutritional substances, then manufacturing and operation are simple, but information availability to consumers throughout the lifecycle is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static nutritional labels into dynamic ones that automatically update based on real-time sensor data from the supply chain. Sensors monitor temperature, humidity, and other conditions during storage and transport, and this data dynamically updates the nutritional information displayed to consumers, allowing the label to reflect actual product state rather than fixed initial values
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where sensor data from the supply chain continuously monitors nutritional substance conditions and feeds this information back to update labeling in real-time. This creates a closed-loop system where information flows from the product through the supply chain back to the consumer interface, ensuring accuracy without requiring complex manual intervention at each stage
2Measurement precision
If real-time tracking of nutritional values is implemented, then information accuracy for consumers is improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensor nodes and communication devices that perform multiple roles: monitoring environmental conditions, tracking nutritional composition, verifying authenticity, and communicating with various stakeholders. These universal components reduce overall system complexity by eliminating the need for separate specialized devices for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary components such as RFID tags, QR codes, and centralized databases that mediate between the complex sensor network and the end-user interface. These intermediaries simplify data aggregation, processing, and presentation, allowing high-precision tracking without exposing the full complexity to consumers or requiring complex user interactions
3Stability of the object's composition
If degradation of nutritional substances is minimized through active preservation, then nutritional value is maintained, but energy consumption and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and prediction by continuously tracking nutritional substance conditions and using this data to forecast potential degradation. This allows preservation actions to be taken proactively and selectively only when and where needed, rather than applying constant high-energy preservation measures throughout the entire supply chain
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts preservation parameters such as temperature and humidity settings based on real-time sensor data and predicted degradation risks. By changing these parameters adaptively rather than maintaining fixed high-level settings, the system minimizes energy consumption while still preventing degradation when and where it would occur
4Loss of information
If comprehensive data collection throughout the supply chain is implemented, then consumer information access is improved, but data management and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the supply chain data collection and management into modular, standardized units at each stage (production, processing, storage, transport, retail). Each segment collects and manages its own data using consistent protocols and formats, which simplifies overall data management by breaking the complex whole into manageable, interchangeable parts that can be independently processed and verified
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables consumers to make informed choices and improves the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of nutritional substance management by providing accurate tracking and preservation of nutritional and aesthetic values, reducing waste and enhancing product quality.
Implementation Method 1
The mobile container includes a gas sensor and an optical sensor for dynamically sensing attribute information of the nutritional substance indicating a change in value of a specific nutritional or organoleptic property; and a temperature and humidity sensor for dynamically sensing environmental information of the container indicating a change in value of the specific nutritional or organoleptic property
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a preservation system for storage and logistic transport of nutritional substances. The preservation system obtains information about the nutritional substance to be preserved, senses and measures the external environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the internal environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the state of the nutritional substance, and stores such information throughout the period of preservation. Using this accumulated information, the preservation system can measure, or estimate, changes in nutritional content (usually degradation) during the period of preservation. Additionally, the preservation system can use this information to dynamically modify the preservation system to minimize detrimental changes to the nutritional content of the nutritional substance, and in some cases actually improve the nutritional substance attributes.