Food containers with transponders

1. Field of the Invention Food and beverage containers with attached or connected transponders. In one embodiment, relatively inexpensive passive transponders are used and are embedded or otherwise attached to the food and beverage containers. A transponder exciter is placed in or near the food or beverage dispenser for energizing the transponder on the food or beverage container, and for discerning information therefrom. Alternatively, active transponders can be used and an non-exciter reader can be used. The information from the containers can be used to track the containers and control the amount of consumable material with which the containers are filled, the number of times the containers are filled, and the type of material with which the containers are filled.