Nutritional Substance Tracking System Using Dynamic Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The food and beverage industry lacks a comprehensive system to track, manage, and communicate changes in nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values of nutritional substances throughout their lifecycle, from creation to consumption, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of transparency for consumers and industry participants.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes sensors and dynamic information identifiers to collect, store, and transmit data on nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values, allowing for adaptive storage and conditioning of nutritional substances, and providing consumers with real-time information to make informed decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods are used for storing and processing nutritional substances, then simplicity and low cost are maintained, but nutritional degradation occurs and quality information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic information at the point of harvest or creation, storing this data in databases before the substance undergoes processing or storage. This allows the system to have advance knowledge of the substance's initial quality state, enabling better preservation strategies and reducing degradation during subsequent handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor nutritional substances during storage and processing, and this information is fed back to control systems that can adjust storage conditions, processing parameters, or even provide real-time information to consumers. This closed-loop feedback ensures quality maintenance while managing system complexity through automated control.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive tracking systems are implemented to monitor nutritional values throughout the supply chain, then information accuracy and consumer transparency are improved, but system complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs universal databases and standardized data structures that can track multiple types of information (nutritional, organoleptic, aesthetic, sourcing) across the entire supply chain using a single integrated framework. This multi-functional approach reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate tracking systems for each type of information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies or representations of nutritional substances through detailed data capture of their properties and history. These digital twins or information copies allow comprehensive tracking and analysis without requiring physical intervention or complex handling of the actual substances, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining information accuracy.
3Reliability
If adaptive conditioning is used to maintain nutritional values, then quality preservation is improved, but processing complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial conditioning actions only when and where needed based on real-time monitoring data. Rather than continuously applying maximum conditioning to all substances, the system adjusts storage and processing conditions adaptively, applying energy only when necessary to maintain quality thresholds, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while preserving nutritional values.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes storage and processing parameters (temperature, humidity, processing time) based on the specific needs of different nutritional substances and their current state. By optimizing these parameters adaptively rather than using fixed conservative settings, the system maintains quality preservation while minimizing energy consumption through efficient parameter management.
Data Source
AI summary
Nutritional substance systems and methods are disclosed enabling the tracking and communication of changes in nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values of nutritional substances, and further enabling the adaptive storage and adaptive conditioning of nutritional substances.