Plant extracts, serving as key raw materials, are widely applied in multiple sectors including food, pharmaceuticals, health food, daily chemical products, cosmetics, and aquaculture inputs. As a globally important exporter of plant extracts, China achieved an export value of 23.88 billion yuan in 2023, accounting for over 20% of the global market share and ranking first worldwide.
However, the industry has long been plagued by fragmented production processes and uneven technical capabilities among enterprises. On one hand, the coexistence of traditional extraction methods and advanced technologies, alongside competition between small workshops and large-scale manufacturers, has led to poor product quality stability and significant fluctuations in active ingredient content. On the other hand, the lack of unified process standards has made it difficult to conduct horizontal comparisons of products from different enterprises. This not only hinders quality control in downstream application sectors, but also restricts the recognition of Chinese plant extracts in the international market.
Recently, the Standardization Administration of China officially issued the national standard GB/T 46671-2025 Technical Specifications for Plant Extract Production Process. As the first technical specification in China’s plant extract industry covering the entire production process, this standard fills the gap of having no unified national standards for production technology. It provides a scientific basis for the production of various plant extracts such as polyphenols and flavonoids, and will drive the industry’s transformation from 'extensive development' to 'standardized quality improvement', helping China’s plant extract industry enhance its core competitiveness in the global market.
Dr. Lan Tao, Associate Researcher at the Institute of Agricultural and Food Standardization, China National Institute of Standardization, and the lead drafter of the standard, stated that to address the quality fluctuation issue caused by inconsistent processes that has long plagued the plant extract industry, the standard establishes a comprehensive framework of 'basic requirements – process flow – technical parameters – verification methods' centering on the key links of plant extract production. It clarifies technical requirements and operational specifications for each process, from raw material acceptance and extraction solvent selection to concentration, purification, and drying, and strengthens the traceability management throughout the entire production process.
The formulation and implementation of this standard aim to establish a unified process baseline by standardizing technical requirements across the entire production process, resolving key industry pain points such as product homogeneity and unstable quality. Meanwhile, it aligns with international market standards, supports mutual recognition of product quality in import and export trade, and lays a solid technical foundation for the high-quality development of the industry.
Source: China National Institute of Standardization
