[0065] ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, computer 104 communicates with factory 106 to make
and/or supply the custom pet food and/or pre-made food and/or food additive, utilizing the
recommended formulation (step 412). In addition, customized feeding instructions and package
labels are printed (step 414). The label may รวมถึง personalized pet information, nutritional
information and/or claims, feeding information, information about the recommended frequency and conditions of future biological sample analyses, and/or information about the recommended frequency of profile updates for their pet. The computer 104 then facilitates shipping the
customized pet food product to the consumer (step 416).
[0066] For a repeat purchase, a consumer returns to user ส่วนต่อประสาน 102 and provides their pet's unique code to access their pet's profile. They may update/change the profile information and/or provide a new biological sample, either of which could result in a difference in the
recommended food. Alternatively, the consumer leaves the profile as it is and replenishes their pet's current food supply.
[0067] Alternatively, a customized additive is ordered by at least one of mail, catalogue, and the Internet, and is shipped directly to the consumer's home. Then, only the pre-made bases are purchased at a retail outlet. Once the consumer receives a base formula recommendation, the consumer purchases the base wherever convenient, and the additive is shipped directly to the consumer in finished or almost finished form. ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, the consumer adds one of water and oil to the shipped sauce. In alternative embodiments, the sauce is produced either on site or off site and the production is either manual or automated.
[0068] In one exemplary embodiment of a determination method 500 illustrated in รูป 5, computer 104, servers 105 and/or storage 107 are configured to determine a pet food product based upon the pet profile information, biological sample and/or stored nutritional, health and other information. Computer 104 receives pet profile information (step 502). For example, with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in รูป 8, the pet profile information can
รวมถึง, but is not limited to, answers to questions about the pet's gender, age, breed, activity
level, weight, eating habits, joint health, coat health, skin health, digestive health and ที่คล้ายกัน. The pet profile information can also รวมถึง answers to questions about the pet owner's food preferences, for example, whether the owner prefers a grain-free diet for the pet, a soy-free diet for the pet, a corn-free diet for the pet, the source of primary protein for the pet (i.e., chicken, lamb, beef, or fish), and ที่คล้ายกัน.
[0069] Computer 104 then accesses stored nutritional information (step 504). In one
embodiment, and with further reference to รูป 8, computer 104 assigns a weight to one or more answers to the questions about the pet or pet owner preferences. For example, with respect to a question about the pet's coat, computer 104 may weight a response of "dull" higher than a
response of "glossy."
100701 Computer 104 then determines one or more wellness variables (step 506), based on the pet profile information and stored nutritional information. ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, computer 104 uses the weight of the responses to help determine one or more wellness variables. As used herein, "wellness variables" refers to one or more nutritional claims that the formulas in each pet food formulation support. For example, the nutritional claims may รวมถึง, but are not limited to DHA from omega-rich fish oil to help nourish brain and vision development; calcium,
phosphorus and other minerals to help build strong teeth and bones; EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and glucosamine to support joint health and mobility; hard เม็ดหยาบ texture to help reduce plaque build-up on teeth; optimal protein and fat levels to help the pet maintain healthy weight and ideal body condition; high-quality sources of carbohydrates for sustained energy; omega-6 fatty acids and zinc to help nourish skin and promote a healthy coat; easily digestible formula that is gentle on the digestive system; alternative sources of carbohydrates — formulated without grain or soy and/or ที่คล้ายกัน.
[0071] A particular fed food formulation may support numerous nutritional claims, or it
may be directed to only one nutritional claim. For formulations that support numerous
nutritional claims, the nutritional claims may be prioritized based upon a variety of factors,
ที่รวมถึง but not limited to the breed information, the pet age information, the pet weight
information, the pet activity level, the pet's digestive health, the pet's eating habits, the pet's
joint health, the pet's coat or skin information, the pet owner's pet food preferences, and ที่คล้ายกัน. For example, ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, the wellness variables for a particular pet food formulation are prioritized based on the pet's age, the pet's breed, and the pet's coat health. In another
embodiment, the wellness variables for a particular pet food formulation are prioritized based on the pet's weight, the pet's age and the pet's digestive health. While these two embodiments exemplify two types of prioritization, the wellness variables can be prioritized based on any pet profile information, pet owner preference information, nutritional information and/or ที่คล้ายกัน.
[0072] For example, one embodiment of wellness variable prioritization 600 is illustrated in รูป 6. In this embodiment, pet food cluster type A is formulated such that the most
prioritized nutritional benefit it provides is optimal protein and fat levels to help pets maintain healthy weight and ideal body condition, while an easily digestible foil rulation is a lesser-
prioritized benefit. In contrast, pet food cluster type B is formulated such that one of the most prioritized nutritional benefits it provides is an easily digestible formulation, while optimal
protein and fat levels are a lesser-prioritized benefit. As such, for pets that need optimal protein and fat to fulfill their health needs, computer 104 would select pet food cluster type A. In
another embodiment, each pet food cluster can be formulated using a different protein source.
For example, pet food cluster type A can ประกอบรวมด้วย chicken, lamb or salmon.
[0073] ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, รูป 9 and รูป 10 illustrate เม็ดหยาบ recommendations based
upon the answers to the pet profile information received by computer 104. The เม็ดหยาบ
recommendations are based upon the pet profile information, pet or user preferences, stored
nutritional information related to the เม็ดหยาบ formulation, one or more wellness variables, one or more wellness variable prioritizations, and/or ที่คล้ายกัน.
[0074] For example, ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, and with further reference to the embodiments illustrated in รูป 5 and รูป 9, pet profile information indicates that the pet is a puppy golden retriever and that the pet owner prefers a grain-free pet formula. Computer 104 uses this pet
profile information and cross-references it with stored nutritional information and requirements related to golden retriever breeds and puppies, as well as stored nutritional information related to its grain-free formulations. Based upon this stored nutritional information, computer 104 then determines that the golden retriever would benefit from a custom formulation that is a grain-free formulation that has high-quality sources of carbohydrates for sustained energy, omega-6 fatty acids and zinc to help nourish skin and promote a healthy coat; and DHA from omega-rich fish oil to help nourish brain and vision development. Computer 104 determines that the
recommended formulation is a cluster BGF type formulation, ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย lamb (BGF2) and
provides this recommendation to the pet owner (step 508). The pet owner can select this
recommendation, or modify the cluster type, protein type (i.e., change from lamb to salmon), and/or add any number of toppings (for example, a calcium-rich topping for the puppy's bone health). Computer 104 receives the owner's selection, modification and/or addition (step 510).
[0075] Computer 104 then generates signals to factory 106 according to the customized pet food formula in order to complete the pet food order (step 512). By generating signals to factory 106, computer 104 can signal to factory 106 to begin manufacturing the pet food
formula, computer 104 can signal to factory 106 to choose a pre-made formulation (for example, เม็ดหยาบ BGF2), computer 104 can signal to factory 106 to choose a pre-made formulation and add a pre-made topping, computer 104 can signal to factory 106 to choose a pre-made formulation and manufacture a topping and/or ที่คล้ายกัน.
[0076] In another exemplary embodiment, and with reference to รูป 10, pet profile
information indicates that the pet is an adult beagle, that the pet owner does not prefer a grain-
free pet formula, and that the pet has somewhat difficult digestion. Computer 104 uses this pet profile information and cross-references it with stored nutritional information and requirements related to the beagle breed, adult dogs, and digestion, as well as stored nutritional information related to its เม็ดหยาบ formulations. Based on the above information, Computer 104 determines that the recommended formulation is a cluster B type formulation, ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย lamb (type B2) is selected that is appropriate for an adult, medium sized dog that has somewhat difficult digestion. In addition, ในหนึ่ง รูปลักษณะ, based on the เม็ดหยาบ selected,