Beverage or foodstuff preparation system

7:

• The system of claim 5, wherein the body portion comprises a flange portion that interconnects the storage portion and the closing member of the container, and the guide portion of the machine is arranged to guide the flange portion,
• wherein the guide portion comprises a front face engaging portion to engage a front face of the flange and a rear face engaging portion to engage a rear face of the flange,
• the front face engaging portion and rear face engaging portion separated by a gap greater than a thickness of the flange, such that:
• the container can pass through the guide portion from the inserted position to the holding position and into the processing unit and translate from the holding position to the reading position.

11:

• A machine for preparing a beverage and/or foodstuff, the machine comprising:
• a code reading system to read the optical code of a container;
• a processing unit for processing precursor material of the container;
• and
• electrical circuitry to control the processing unit based on preparation information read from the code,
• wherein the code reading system includes a code reader, and a positioning mechanism to translate along an axis the container and the code reader relative to each other from a holding position, in which the container is separated from a reading head of the code reader and the code is aligned along the axis with the code reader, to a reading position, in which the code of the container is in contact with the reading head, and in which the closing member presents a comparatively more uniform surface for reading of the code compared to the holding position.

12:

• A container wherein the container comprises:
• a body portion comprising a storage portion for containing a precursor material;
• a closing member to close the storage portion;
• and
• a machine-readable code storing preparation information, the code arranged on a central region of the closing member,
• wherein the central region of the closing member is arranged to displace by 2-6 mm when subject to a pressing force of 15-120 N by a reading head of a the code reader.

15:

• A method of reading an optical code of a container for containing a precursor material for preparing a beverage and/or foodstuff, the method comprising:
• translating the container relative to a code reader from a holding position in which the container is separated from the code reader and the code is aligned with the code reader, to a reading position in which the code of the container is in contact with the code reader and in which a the closing member of the container presents a comparatively more uniform surface for reading of the code compared to the holding position;
• and
• reading the code.