Tableware utilization tracking system

An electronic device operable to maintain a historical record of food allergen exposure to tableware, comprising:

• a network interface circuitry operable to communicate over a network and a sensing device operable to sense an identifier specific to and disposed with tableware, the electronic device being communicatively coupled via the network interface circuitry over the network to a blockchain network that includes network nodes that are collectively configured to operate a blockchain having blocks, with each block having a header and a body with one or more transaction entries, with the header having a reference to a previous block on the blockchain and a reference to the transaction entries of the current block on the blockchain, the tableware identifier being specific to a cryptographic digital asset stored on the blockchain as a code that represents the tableware identifier, the cryptographic digital asset also includes a reference to information that represents a historical record of any food allergen exposure to the tableware, with the tableware identifier code and the food allergen exposure information reference being included in a transaction entry of a block on the blockchain that is associated with the cryptographic digital asset;
• and
• wherein the electronic device further comprises processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:
• send, via the network interface circuitry, to a network node of the blockchain network over the network, an indication that includes a request for block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset based on the tableware identifier disposed on the tableware that is sensed by the sensing device;
• receive, via the network interface circuitry, from the network node of the blockchain network over the network, an indication that includes the block data having the tableware identifier code and the food allergen exposure information reference;
• decrypt the food allergen exposure information reference based on a public or private key associated with the electronic device to obtain the food allergen exposure information;
• compare the obtained food allergen exposure information to obtained food allergy information associated with a diner identifier;
• determine, based on the comparison, that the tableware is compatible with the diner identifier;
• send, via the network interface circuitry, to the network node of the blockchain network over the network, an indication that includes a request to register a new transaction on the blockchain that includes the tableware identifier and the food allergen exposure information reference;
• and
• cause, in response to the register request, the network node of the blockchain network to add a transaction entry to the blockchain that updates the historical record of food allergen exposure associated with the tableware.