Patent ID: 7043442

Claim:
A method for certifying a kosher or halal food quality regarding a product from a manufacturer, the product composed of at least first and second ingredients from respective at least first and second suppliers, each of the at least first and second ingredients having been certified as to a kosher or halal food quality for the respective supplier by a respective at least first and second certification agencies, the method performed with respect to at least one computer database, each at least one computer database administered by a respective central manager, the method comprising the steps of: submitting, by the supplier, kosher or halal food quality certification information regarding the at least first and second ingredients, to an at least one central manager; defining, by the at least one central manager, at least first and second unique identifiers associated with respective at least first and second ingredients each from a respective at least first and second supplier, each such identifier indicative of a source of information regarding the kosher or halal certification of the respective ingredient from the respective supplier, the information stored in the at least one computer database, and maintained by the at least one central manager; upon request by said manufacturer, communicating, by the at least one central manager, or by the said manufacturer, the at least first and second unique identifiers to a certification agency associated with the manufacturer, the certification agency associated with the manufacturer being non-identical to the first certification agency and being non-identical to the second certification agency; retrieving, by the certification agency associated with the manufacturer, from the at least one database, by means of the unique identifiers, information regarding the kosher or halal certification of the ingredients; certifying, by the certification agency associated with the manufacturer, the kosher or halal food quality regarding the product, based in part on the kosher or halal certification information retrieved from the at least one central manager; and communicating the kosher or halal food quality certification of the product to the manufacturer.