System and method for quality management utilizing barcode indicators

A quality management system for products comprising:

• a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one product quality threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, said barcoded quality indicators including a changeable barcode including at least one material having at least one variable visually-sensible characteristic which gradually changes as a function of changes in said at least one product quality affecting parameter and a background having at least one selectable visually-sensible characteristic which is not variable or not variable in the same way as is the barcode, said machine-readable indication of exceedance being represented by a machine-readable difference between said at least one selectable visually-sensible characteristic and said at least one variable visually-sensible characteristic, said barcoded quality indicators providing a first machine-readable indication prior to said exceedance of said at least one threshold and a second machine-readable indication, different from said first machine-readable indication, following said exceedance of said at least one threshold, said at least one product quality affecting parameter comprising an energy level representing a combination of two different product quality affecting factors;
• a barcode indicator reader operative to read said barcoded quality indicators and to provide output indications based on a difference between said at least one selectable visually-sensible characteristic of said background and said at least one variable visually-sensible characteristic of said barcode;
• and
• an indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible product quality status outputs.