Customized food selection, ordering and distribution system and method

Abstract

A system and method for selecting, ordering and distributing customized food products is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is a computer-implemented method comprising viewing a list of additives for creating a customized food product, selecting one or more additives from the list of additives to create the customized food product, and transmitting a request to purchase the customized food product, which is then distributed to the consumer. By communicating with the manufacturer as to personal needs and desires pertaining to health, activity level, organoleptic preferences and so forth, the consumer can now develop and order a customized food product to suit his or her particular tastes, using a real-time interactive communication link.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 181,282, filed on Feb. 9, 2000, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 699,622, filed on Oct. 29, 2000, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.CROSS REFERENCES[0002] This Application is also related to a U.S. patent application entitled, "Nutrient Clusters for Food Products and Methods of Preparation," Ser. No. 09 / 596,543, filed on Jun. 19, 2000, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.[0003] This application is also related to a U.S. patent application entitled, "Food Distribution, Preparation and Consumption System," Ser. No. 09 / 596,275 filed on Jun. 16, 2000, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.[0004] This application is also related to a U.S. patent application entitled, "Production of Oil Encapsulating Minerals an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0223] Provide lasting energy by incorporating complex carbohydrates, B-vitamins and soy protein. Your ability to respond well to stress may also be improved by these nutrients.

[0280] In one embodiment, the consumer can choose from a nearly infinite selection of cereal and snack products ranging from healthy and light snacks to hearty meals. The resulting product has a high value to the consumer in that it has been customized to their own particular requirements, whether taste, health and / or nutrition, as compared with existing food options. Still another advantage is that products can be prepared having very particular tastes and / or nutritional properties. For example, additives can be formulated with particular nutritional features such as enhanced vitamin, mineral, fiber or protein fortification.

Problems solved by technology

Such mass marketing typically limits the ability of the consumer to purchase products that are particularly suited for his or her needs.

However, as consumers grow increasingly aware of their own health concerns, and the role food can play in impacting these conditions, many are limiting or avoiding foods that contain excess fats, sugars, allergens and so forth, which can negatively impact their health.

This often results in limited loyalty to any particular brand of cereal or snack product, likely because no one brand is seen as doing a superior job of meeting a consumer's needs over another.

Meeting the diverse health and taste needs of individual consumers is simply not possible with conventional mass marketing.

Traditional retailing further prevents the food industry from meeting these needs by limiting the number of SKU's carried by retailers, due, in many cases, to limited shelf space.

Such reheating of a finished product would likely be unsuccessful in that it may burn, scorch and / or char the pieces, not generate the fresh flavor, toughen the texture rather than soften the piece, and so forth.

However, many of the combinations represent food products that are not, nor ever have been, commercially available.

However, chronic consumption or a steady diet of particular foods can lead to a diet having negative or health impact.

Excess use of some foods, such as teas, which contain tannic acid, are considered by some to be related to an increased incidence of bladder infections.

As a result, they may be unknowingly providing this to their child or ingesting this themselves, when, in fact, they should be avoiding it.

Individualized food products are not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease.

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