Patent ID: 8500014

Claim:
A quality management system for products comprising: a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators each operative to provide a first machine-readable indication prior to exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, and a second machine-readable indication, different from said first machine-readable indication, following said exceedance of said at least one threshold by said at least one product quality affecting parameter, said first and second machine-readable indications comprising at least mutually different alpha-numerical data encoded in said barcoded quality indicators, each of said multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators continuing to provide said second machine-readable indication following said exceedence of said at least one threshold even when said at least one threshold is no longer exceeded; a barcode indicator reader operative to read said barcoded quality indicators and to provide output indications, said barcoded quality indicators being readable by said barcode indicator reader at all times, after first becoming readable, including times prior to, during and immediately following exceedance of said at least one threshold by said at least one product quality affecting parameter; and a product type responsive indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible, product quality status outputs.