Plant Extract Production Enters the Standardization Era! Interpretation of National Standard GB/T 46671-2025 Technical Specification for Production Processes of Plant Extracts
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In 2025, the national standard Technical Specification for Production Processes of Plant Extracts (GB/T 46671-2025) was officially released and implemented. Following foundational national standards for the plant extract sector including Plant Extracts — Terms (GB/T 43808-2024), Method for Removal of Metal Ions in Water-Soluble Agricultural Product Extracts — Ion Exchange Method (GB/T 44969-2024) and Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Plant Extracts — Thin-Layer Chromatography (GB/T 45538-2025), this document is another key standard for the industry.
As China’s first technical specification focusing on the full production process of plant extracts, it fills the gap of lacking unified production process standards in the industry. It provides scientific guidelines for the production of polyphenol, flavonoid, terpenoid and other types of plant extracts. The standard will drive the industry to shift from extensive development to quality improvement via standardization, and enhance the core competitiveness of China’s plant extract industry in the global market.
1. Background and Necessity for Standard Formulation
China is a major global supplier of plant extracts, which are widely applied in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, feed and other fields. The export volume reached 3.53 billion US dollars in 2022, and the industry scale keeps expanding. However, the sector has long been plagued by inconsistent production processes and uneven technical capabilities among enterprises. Traditional extraction methods coexist with high-end technologies, and small workshops compete with large-scale manufacturers, resulting in unstable product quality and fluctuating contents of active ingredients. In addition, the absence of unified process specifications makes it hard to compare products from different manufacturers, hindering quality control in downstream industries and undermining the international recognition of Chinese plant extracts.
Moreover, the production quality of plant extracts directly determines the safety and efficacy of end products. Improper raw material treatment, non-standard extraction parameters and excessive solvent residues may trigger potential quality risks. Formulating and implementing this standard aims to unify technical requirements for the whole production process, establish universal process benchmarks, resolve common industrial problems such as product homogeneity and unstable quality. It also helps align with international rules, facilitate mutual recognition of product quality in import and export trade, and lay a solid technical foundation for high-quality industrial development.
2. Main Framework and Core Contents of the Standard
2.1 Four Core Modules for Full-Process Standardization
Centering on key production links, the standard establishes a complete system consisting of basic requirements, production processes, technical parameters and verification methods.
- Scope and Terminology
- Facility and Sanitation Requirements
- Full Production Process Requirements
- Verification Methods
2.2 Key Technical Requirements for the Whole Production Process
Clear technical specifications are set for five core production stages to form standardized operation guidelines.
- Control of Raw Materials and Processing Aids
- Pretreatment
- Optimized Extraction Processes
- Refining and Forming
- Finished Product Treatment
2.3 Innovation Highlights: Balancing Uniformity and Flexibility
Fully considering industrial diversity, the standard unifies basic requirements while retaining reasonable flexibility. Enterprises may select appropriate extraction and refining technologies according to product characteristics. Differentiated sanitation and quality control rules are formulated for products applied in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other sectors. All raw material procurement records, production files and test reports shall be kept for no less than three years, ensuring full process traceability and verifiable quality.
3. Implementation Significance and Industrial Impacts
3.1 Technical Level: Improve Product Quality Stability and Safety
By standardizing process parameters and control points, the standard reduces arbitrary manual operation, unifies the content of active ingredients, and lowers quality risks such as solvent residues and microbial contamination. It delivers more reliable raw materials for downstream industries.
3.2 Industrial Level: Promote Industrial Transformation and Standardized Development
The standard will accelerate industrial reshuffling. It drives small and medium-sized enterprises to upgrade production technologies and facilitates large-scale and intensive development. Unified process specifications cut industrial communication costs, help upstream and downstream enterprises build coordinated quality control systems, and expand application scenarios of plant extracts.
3.3 International Level: Facilitate Integration into the Global Market
There are no unified international standards for plant extract production processes so far. Combining advanced international quality control concepts and domestic industrial realities, this standard acts as a "passport" for Chinese products to enter the global market. It helps reduce technical trade barriers and enhance the international reputation and competitiveness of Chinese plant extracts.
3.4 Talent and Research Level: Build Support System for Industrial Development
The implementation will drive universities and research institutions to launch relevant courses and cultivate professional technical personnel. It also encourages enterprises to build laboratory databases and quality control systems, boost technological innovation and achievement transformation, and provide talent and technical support for sustainable industrial growth.
4. Recommendations for Standard Implementation
4.1 For Enterprises: Fully Implement Process Specifications
Enterprises shall optimize production workflows in accordance with the standard and formulate supporting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Priority shall be given to raw material identification, extraction parameter control and solvent residue detection. Enterprises shall equip necessary testing devices and enclosed production facilities, and adopt advanced technologies such as supercritical fluid extraction and membrane separation to improve product quality.
4.2 For the Industry: Strengthen Standard Promotion and Technology Popularization
Industry associations and research institutions are suggested to organize training sessions, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Technical exchange platforms shall be built to share practical experience of advanced technologies like subcritical extraction and molecular distillation, and solve technical difficulties in standard implementation.
4.3 For Regional Authorities: Implement the Standard Based on Local Characteristics
Major plant extract manufacturers are located in Shaanxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces with distinct raw material resources and technical advantages. Local authorities shall carry out targeted guidance: regions rich in raw materials may focus on pretreatment and extraction standardization, while technology-intensive regions shall prioritize refining and quality control.
5. Conclusion
The release and implementation of Technical Specification for Production Processes of Plant Extracts marks a new stage of standardized and regulated development for China’s plant extract industry. Rooted in domestic industrial conditions and tailored to global market demands, the standard strongly supports quality improvement, technological innovation and market expansion. With further implementation, Chinese plant extracts will gain better quality stability and stronger global competitiveness. The industry will accomplish a leap from scale expansion to quality and efficiency growth, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the general health industry.
[Issued by: Institute of Agricultural and Food Standardization]