INTEGRATING ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTION OF A FOOD PRODUCT

1 . A system for integrating analysis and production of a food product comprising:

a. food production apparatus for producing a food product in at least one characterized production step;

b. an MRI device configured to provide at least one image of at least a portion of said product's components at said at least one characterized production step; and

c. a processor for analyzing and controlling the production of said product;

wherein said system is operating in a method of

i. analyzing said MRI image online;

ii. operatively communicating results of said analysis to said food production apparatus;

iii. online feedback controlling at least one step in the operation of said food production apparatus, thereby controlling automatically said at least one step in the operation of said apparatus.

2 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 1 , wherein said production steps are selected from a group consisting of adding ingredients, mixing, shaking, rotating, tumbling, aerating, heating, cooling, holding at a fixed temperature, emulsifying, kneading, and any combination thereof.

3 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) said means for analyzing at least one criterion of said composition of said food product generates at least one radial velocity profile from said at least one magnetic resonance image; (b) said means for analyzing at least one criterion of said composition of said food product generates at least two radial pressure profiles; and any combination thereof.

4 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 2 , wherein said means for analyzing at least one criterion of said composition of said food product generates at least one rheological parameter of said composition of said food product from at least one of said at least one radial velocity profile and said at least two radial pressure profiles.

5 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one rheological parameter is selected from a group consisting of radial shear stress parameter σ(r), radial shear rate parameter γ(r), and any combination of thereof.

6 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 4 , wherein said means for analyzing at least one criterion of said composition of said food product generates stress parameters k and n in the power law equation σ(r)=k[γ(r)] n from rheological parameters radial shear stress parameter σ(r) and radial shear rate parameter γ(r).

7 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 6 , wherein said means for analyzing at least one criterion of said composition of said food product is further configured to determine at least one quality parameter Q from said at least one rheological parameter.

8 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 7 , wherein said quality parameter is Q=√{square root over (k 2 +n 2 )}.

9 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 8 , wherein standard quality parameter Q S =√{square root over (k S 2 +n S 2 )} is generated from analysis of a standardized sample of said food product composition, said analysis of said standardized sample generating standardized stress parameters k S and n S in the power law equation σ S (r)=k S [γ S (r)] n S from rheological parameters standardized radial shear stress parameter σ S (r) and standardized radial shear rate parameter γ S (r).

10 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 8 , wherein composition quality parameter Q C =√{square root over (k C 2 +n C 2 )} is generated from analysis of a sample of said food product composition, said analysis of said composition sample generating composition stress parameters k C and n C in the power law equation σ C (r)=k C [γ C (r)] n C from rheological parameters composition radial shear stress parameter σ C (r) and composition radial shear rate parameter γ C (r).

11 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claims 11 , wherein a quality test parameter is: Q T =|Q S −Q C |.

12 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 11 , wherein said quality criterion is: said quality test parameter is smaller than one standard deviation of said standard quality parameter.

13 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 12 , wherein said standard deviation is one standard deviation of either said standard quality parameter or said composition quality parameter.

14 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 1 , wherein said alterable at least one parameter is selected from a group consisting of addition of an ingredient, the rate of addition of an ingredient, mixing rate, mixing time, rate of change of mixing rate, shaking rate, shaking time, rate of change of shaking rate, rotation rate, rotation time, rate of change of rotation rate, tumbling rate, tumbling time, rate of change of tumbling rate, aeration rate, aeration time, rate of change of aeration rate, heating rate, heating time, rate of change of heating rate, shaking rate, shaking time, rate of change of heating rate, cooling rate, cooling time, rate of change of cooling rate, time held at a constant temperature, emulsification rate, emulsification time, rate of change of emulsification rate, kneading rate, kneading time, rate of change of kneading rate, and any combination thereof.

15 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 14 , wherein said alterable at least one parameter comprises addition of an ingredient; said ingredient stored in an said ingredient supply system comprising a plurality of ingredient supply reservoirs, each reservoir of said plurality of ingredient supply reservoirs comprising at least one ingredient of said plurality of ingredients.

16 . The system for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) if said quality parameter satisfies said quality criterion, a further batch of said food composition is input to said food production line; (b) if said quality parameter does not satisfy said quality criterion, said processor instructs said ingredient supply system to inject a quantity of at least one ingredient into said composition; (c) said at least one criterion of at least one composition of said food product is selected based on its relationship to at least one of a group consisting of: food product aroma, and food product taste; (d) at least a part of said food production equipment is configured to comply with a NeSSI specification; (e) at least a part of said food production equipment is configured to comply with ANSI/ISA SP76.00.2002 miniature, modular mechanical standard specifications; (f) said food production equipment comprises a NeSSI communication bus; and any combination thereof.

17 . A method for integrating analysis and production of a food product comprising steps of:

a. providing a system for integrating analysis and production of a food product comprising:

i. food production apparatus for producing a food product in at least one characterized production step;

ii. an MRI device configured to provide at least one image of at least a portion of said product's components at said at least one characterized production step; and

iii. a processor for analyzing and controlling the production of said product;

b. providing at least one sample of said food product at said characterized production step;

c. MRI imaging said sample of said food product at said characterized production step;

d. analyzing said MRI image online;

e. operatively communicating results of said analysis to said food production apparatus, thereby enabling automatic online control of production; and

f. online feedback controlling at least one step in the operation of said food production apparatus, thereby controlling automatically said at least one step in the operation of said apparatus.

18 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 17 , additionally comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) selecting said food production steps from a group consisting of adding ingredients, mixing, shaking, rotating, tumbling, aerating, heating, cooling, holding at a fixed temperature, emulsifying, kneading, and any combination thereof; (b) determining a standardized quality parameter, said standardized quality parameter determined from said analysis of said at least one sample of said at least one standardized composition of said food product; (c) determining a quality criterion from said analysis of said at least one sample of said at least one standardized composition of said food product; (e) analyzing said composition of said food product to generate at least one radial velocity profile of said composition of said food product from said at least one magnetic resonance image; and any combination thereof.

19 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 17 , additionally comprising a step of generating at least two radial pressure profiles of said composition of said food product.

20 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 19 , additionally comprising a step generating at least one rheological parameter of said composition of said food product from at least one of said at least one radial velocity profile and said at least two radial pressure profiles.

21 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 20 , additionally comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) selecting said at least one rheological parameter from a group consisting of radial shear stress parameter σ(r), radial shear rate parameter γ(r), and any combination of thereof; (b) generating stress parameters k and n in the power law equation σ(r)=k[γ(r)] n from rheological parameters radial shear stress parameter σ(r) and radial shear rate parameter γ(r); and any combination thereof.

22 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 21 , additionally comprising a step of determining at least one quality parameter Q from said at least one rheological parameter.

23 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 22 , additionally comprising a step of generating said quality parameter from

Q =√{square root over ( k 2 +n 2 )}.

24 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 23 , additionally comprising a step of generating standard quality parameter Q S =√{square root over (k S 2 +n S 2 )} from analysis of a standardized sample of said food product composition, said analysis of said standardized sample generating standardized stress parameters k S and n S in the power law equation σ S (r)=k S [γ S (r)] n S from rheological parameters standardized radial shear stress parameter σ S (r) and standardized radial shear rate parameter γ S (r).

25 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 23 , additionally comprising a step of generating composition quality parameter Q C =√{square root over (k C 2 +n C 2 )} from analysis of a sample of said food product composition, said analysis of said composition sample generating composition stress parameters k C and n C in the power law equation σ C (r)=k C [γ C (r)] n C from rheological parameters composition radial shear stress parameter σ C (r) and composition radial shear rate parameter γ C (r).

26 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 24 , additionally comprising a step of generating quality test parameter Q T =|Q S −Q C |.

27 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 26 , additionally comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) setting said quality criterion as: said quality test parameter is smaller than one standard deviation of said standard quality parameter; (b) setting said quality criterion as: said quality test parameter is smaller than one standard deviation of said composition quality parameter; and any combination thereof.

28 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 17 , additionally comprising a step of selecting said alterable at least one parameter from a group consisting of addition of an ingredient, the rate of addition of an ingredient, mixing rate, mixing time, rate of change of mixing rate, shaking rate, shaking time, rate of change of shaking rate, rotation rate, rotation time, rate of change of rotation rate, tumbling rate, tumbling time, rate of change of tumbling rate, aeration rate, aeration time, rate of change of aeration rate, heating rate, heating time, rate of change of heating rate, shaking rate, shaking time, rate of change of heating rate, cooling rate, cooling time, rate of change of cooling rate, time held at a constant temperature, emulsification rate, emulsification time, rate of change of emulsification rate, kneading rate, kneading time, rate of change of kneading rate, and any combination thereof.

29 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 28 , additionally comprising a step of selecting addition of an ingredient as at least one said alterable at least one parameter; said ingredient stored in an said ingredient supply system comprising a plurality of ingredient supply reservoirs, each reservoir of said plurality of ingredient supply reservoirs comprising at least one ingredient of said plurality of ingredients.

30 . The method for integrating analysis and production of a food product according to claim 17 , additionally comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting (a) inputting a further batch of said food composition to said food production line if said quality parameter satisfies said quality criterion; (b) injecting a quantity of at least one ingredient into said composition if said quality parameter does not satisfy said quality criterion; (c) selecting said at least one criterion of at least one composition of said food product based on its relationship to at least one of a group consisting of: food product aroma, and food product taste; (d) configuring at least a part of said food production equipment to comply with a NeSSI specification; (e) configuring at least a part of said food production equipment to comply with ANSI/ISA SP76.00.2002 miniature, modular mechanical standard specifications; (f) providing at least a part of said food production equipment with a NeSSI communication bus; (g) repeating said comparing and said adjusting iteratively for each remaining batch of said plurality of batches; (h) selecting at least one food product criterion in accordance with customer requirements; (i) selecting at least one food product criterion from a group consisting of: food product aroma, food product taste and any combination thereof; and any combination thereof.