One Number Food Quality Rating Algorithm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current food labeling systems do not adequately address individual nutritional needs and health objectives, as they lack information on energy density and fiber density, and often provide serving sizes in non-weight measurements, making it difficult for consumers to select suitable foods for weight management, health goals, or dietary restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A computing program with algorithms that calculates a single 'One Number' food quality rating using nutrient and energy content, approximating food weight from available nutrient weights, and adjusting for user-specific dietary needs, allowing for accurate rating of food quality even with limited information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If food labels list detailed nutrient content, then information completeness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complexity of balancing multiple nutrients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential nutrient information from comprehensive food labels and concentrates it into a single quality rating number. This extraction process takes out only the most critical nutritional attributes needed for health assessment, eliminating the overwhelming detail while preserving the essential information for making healthy food choices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms multiple nutrient parameters (calories, protein, fiber, fats, sugars) into a single aggregated quality rating parameter. This parameter change simplifies the decision-making process by converting complex multi-dimensional nutritional data into a one-dimensional score that directly indicates food quality for health goals.
2Manufacturing precision
If food labels provide standard nutrient information, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates as they cannot address individual nutritional needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability to the static food labeling system by allowing the quality rating calculation to adjust based on individual user goals and nutritional needs. The system dynamically modifies the weighting and interpretation of nutrient parameters according to personal health objectives, making the same food label serve different purposes for different users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the quality rating calculation to specific user needs and goals. Different users receive different quality ratings for the same food based on their individual nutritional requirements, allowing the system to optimize for local (individual) conditions while maintaining the same global (standard) labeling framework.
3Measurement precision
If weight information is provided for all foods, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to handling multicomponent foods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses approximate weight values derived from nutrient content as a substitute for precise measured weights. This approach accepts a small loss in measurement precision in exchange for dramatically reduced data processing complexity, especially for multicomponent foods where exact weight information is difficult to obtain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces nutrient content as an intermediary to bridge the gap between unavailable weight information and the need for weight-based quality calculations. By using nutrient weights as a proxy for food weight, the system circumvents the complexity of obtaining and processing direct weight measurements for all food items.
Data Source
AI summary
An Application implemented on a computing device. Algorithms in the Application convert information about the nutrient concentration in a measure of food into a single quality rating number for the food. Concentration values of specific nutrients in the food are determined using information about the weight of selected nutrients in a measure of the food.