Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Product with defined indicating means – e.g. – indicia – etc.
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2001-06-19
Cano, Milton (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Product with defined indicating means, e.g., indicia, etc.
C426S002000, C426S805000, C426S132000, C426S383000, C119S711000, C206S459500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248377
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to selection of food in sealed, olfactory-isolating containers and, in particular, to a system and method that facilitate food type and/or flavor selection by animals, such as pets, human infants, and human adults, based on olfactory cues that are external to the containers and that may be optionally associated with visual cues or objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Food types are presented herein only by way of example to pet or infant foods, although adult human food types such as wines or pasta sauces are also considered. Some types of animal or pet food are available in a variety of textures, flavors, or ingredients. Canned cat food, for example, may include poultry, fish, or beef and may be juicy, ground, sliced, shredded, or chunky. This variety makes it easier for the owners of the animals to find particular foods that the animals will eat. Unfortunately, some animals, such as cats or human infants, are notoriously finicky and may choose not to eat certain foods at all. Some animals will, however, joyfully devour one type of food on any given day but refuse to eat the same type of food the next day or the next week. This finicky behavior poses a serious expense problem for the owners of spoiled pets, as well as for the owners of old or sickly pets, which must be encouraged to eat sufficient amounts to keep them healthy. Unfortunately, the labels on conventional animal food and baby food containers are adapted to attract the attention of the animal owner or parent and not the animal or baby, respectively. Similarly, the labels of sauces, wines, and other adult food types sold in sealed containers, such as cans, bottles, or jars, rely largely on visual information to attract a potential purchaser. Accordingly, a method or a system that permits animals or infants to make their own food choices would be desirable. Furthermore, a method or a system that presents consumers with additional information, preferably on the product labels, about a sealed food product prior to purchase would be advantageous to consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide olfactory information corresponding to a sealed food product to aid a potential purchaser or food consumer in making a product or meal selection, respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and/or system to facilitate meal selection by animals or infants.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention employs a scent area integrated into or attached to a food label. The scent area preferably contains the scent and/or taste of the contents within the food container. The scent area may also be covered with a peel-off type cover to preserve the freshness of the scent area during shipping and storage. Animals can sniff or lick the scent areas of an assortment of food containers and show a preference for a meal selection. Alternatively, animals or infants can be presented with food-scented cards, game pieces, or toys to make a meal selection based on the olfactory information and/or associated visual cues.
In a further embodiment, a row, column, or array of spaced-apart scent areas, a set of scented cards or icons, or a set of scented toys can be presented to a pet or infant prior to purchasing the food product, and through sniff and/or taste a pet or infant can indicate which types or flavors of food the animal or infant prefers. The pet owner or parent could then use the preference indications to purchase preferred food types and/or flavors.
Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Cano Milton
Madsen Robert
Stoel Rives LLP
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