Food Science

Patents allow inventors to profit from their inventions, but expire after 20 years, to allow unimpeded progress from that invention.

For more help, use the
UMass Amherst guide for Patents and Trademarks.

or use the USPTO Patent Public Search for the deepest search.

Google Patents is great for looking at earlier patents (before 1976) and quick searching, but it's hard do a thorough seach.

Patents are organized into classes based on their subject. Many FOOD patents are in the 426 class.

A person filing a patent is required to search the patents to see if the idea has already been patented.

Patents are given class numbers by subject. Class numbers allow us to find patents on the same subject.
This system is complex. An example of a class for food-related patents:

Class 426
FOOD OR EDIBLE MATERIAL: PROCESSES, COMPOSITIONS, AND PRODUCTS

Find here official definitions of this class and its subclasses, and see patents assigned this class.

A wealth of data, documents, and websites are available from the U.S. government. Examples:

Food Safety Research Information Office
Info portal for this topic at US Dept of Agriculture. Find fact sheets, reports, databases of outbreaks, etc. on common food pathogens and other food safety issues.

Food and Drug Administration
Part of the Dept of Health and Human Services. Find info on product recalls, outbreaks of food-borne illness, regulations about ingredients, packaging, labeling,supplements, etc.
The FDA also publishes the Food Code, "a model that [provides]... a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating ...restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as nursing homes."

Digestive Diseases - National Institutes of Health website. Examples:

• Botulism
• Campylobacteriosis
• E. coli
• Hepatitis A
• Norovirus Infection
• Salmonellosis
• Shigellosis

FoodSafety.gov - for the public/consumer: "Your Gateway to Food Safety Information"

FoodData Central- The USDA National Nutrient Database. Search by food item, food category, manufacturer's name, or branded foods to find the nutrient information

• For information on how to use this database, click here.

Spotlight on a useful book on food patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyright.
Find this electronic book in our library catalog:

Intellectual Property in the Food Technology Industry : protecting your innovation
Ryan W. O'Donnell, John J. O'Malley, Randolph J. Huis, Gerald B. Halt, Jr.
Springer Science, 2008

Written by four members of an intellectual property law firm, Volpe and Koenig, P.C.

This e-book platform allows you to download a .pdf for each chapter.

Governmental regulation of food:  examples of useful subject headings in the library catalog:

Food -- Safety and Security Measures
Food law and legislation -- United States
Food security

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the non-partisan public policy research arm of the United States Congress.

CRS experts prepare reports to assist members of Congress throughout the legislative process providing background information and data on public policy issues.