Patent ID: 8581209

Claim:
Microcapsules comprising a shell material; a core material, wherein said core material includes: i) an environmentally sensitive luminescent colorant present in the range of 1 ppm to 50 ppm which exhibits characteristics of an emitted wavelength bandwidth, a peak intensity for emission and a time for luminescence decay, one or more of said characteristics capable of changing upon exposure to a given environment; ii) a luminescent standard present in the range of 1 ppm to 50 ppm which exhibits characteristics of an emitted wavelength bandwidth, a peak intensity for emission and a time for luminescence decay, one or more of said characteristics do not change upon exposure to said given environment and wherein said luminescent standard is selected from one or more of the following: sulfonated coumarin dyes, sulfonated rhodamine dyes, sulfonated xanthene dye, sulfonated cyanine dyes, and quantum dots; and iii) an ingredient, wherein said ingredient includes one or more of the following: pharmaceuticals, flavorants, or attractants and wherein said environmentally sensitive luminescent colorant has a first rate of oxidation correlated with a second rate of oxidation of said ingredient; and iv) a hydrocarbon solvent; and one or more layers formed on the microcapsule surface selected from the group consisting of polyanions, polycations and combinations thereof, wherein said environmentally sensitive luminescent colorant and said luminescent standard are measurable through said shell without rupturing said microcapsules.