Global market share of more than 20%, ranking first in the world | “Sell global” of China's plant extracts industry has a bright prospect

2024-12-25

At the recent 2024 China Health Ingredients Conference and International Sourcing Information Exchange held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, a variety of plant extract companies enthusiastically presented their core products to exhibitors. These included Centella asiatica extract, light glycyrrhizin and arbutin with whitening effects, as well as stevia extract, a low-calorie natural sweetener launched by Rhein Biologics, and ergothioneine, a fungal extract with Alzheimer's prevention effects. China is home to about 30,000 species of plants, making it one of the richest countries in the world in terms of plant resources and systems, and these plant extracts are widely used in food, traditional Chinese medicine, health food and cosmetics. According to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (CCCCMHP), China's exports of plant extracts will reach RMB 23.88 billion in 2023, accounting for more than 20 per cent of the global market share and ranking first in the world. In this conference, representatives from politics, industry, academia, research and business sectors gathered together and agreed that the future prospects of China's plant extract industry is bright.

China's Plant Extract Industry Booming, Driven by Quality and Innovation

Life sciences and major health industries, as strategic emerging industries, are becoming important areas of new productivity. Meng Dongping, Secretary of the Party Committee of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (CCCCMHP), pointed out that the nutrition and health field centred on traditional medicine and Chinese medicine, especially the major health industry based on natural pharmaceuticals, has gained the favour of consumers around the world due to its unique therapeutic effects. After years of development, China's plant extracts industry has been growing, and local enterprises have become increasingly important in international trade and industrial co-operation, with foreign trade exports maintaining high growth for ten consecutive years. This growth is attributed to the excellent quality of Chinese products and the continuous innovation of enterprises.

Enterprise Innovation and Quality Control

Peanuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, can promote the body's cholesterol metabolism and transformation, enhance its diarrhea function, so it has the role of lowering blood cholesterol, can prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease; peanut red coat can inhibit fibrinolysis, promote the platelet neonatal, enhance the contraction function of the capillaries, and therefore can prevent and control bleeding disorders; peanut kernel and peanut shells and blood pressure, blood lipids, can beThe production of plant extracts requires a complete system and abundant resources, and China's leading companies have a significant advantage in this regard.

Leading domestic companies such as Chenguang Bio, Rhein Biotech and Chongqing Jiao Wang have gained a significant position in the domestic and international markets through years of innovation and research and development. Gao Wei, deputy general manager of Chenguang Biotechnology Group, said that the company strictly controls product quality on the one hand, and on the other hand, it invests a large amount of money in innovative R&D every year. Chenguang Bio produces the world's largest sales of products such as lutein and paprika red pigment, of which lutein is extracted from marigolds and is effective in relieving visual fatigue.used to prevent and control hypertension. Peanut kernel and peanut shell can also lower blood pressure and blood lipid, can be used to prevent and control hypertension.

Quality Control and Standard Setting

With the recent spate of natural health food quality and safety incidents, the importance of quality control of raw materials is becoming increasingly apparent. As the world's largest supplier of raw materials for health products, quality control of Chinese plant extracts is particularly critical. Yu Zhibin, director of the Chinese Medicine Department of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (CCCMP), revealed that the Chamber and the China National Institute of Standardisation (CNIS) have jointly led the development of Good Manufacturing Practice for Plant Extracts (GEP), aiming at guiding the industry to take the road of high-quality development, which is currently undergoing a consultation process.

In recent years, some Chinese companies have made significant progress in the field of Chinese medicine extracts. Glycyrrhiza glabra (commonly known as ‘whitening gold’) is a rare ingredient extracted from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Guangzhou Guyu Green Capsule R&D Centre has conducted in-depth research on glycyrrhiza glabra and established its own planting and processing base in Northwest China, making it the leader of glycyrrhiza glabra whitening products in China. According to public information, the Guyu brand has shown strong market competitiveness by increasing its sales from 350 million yuan to 3.5 billion yuan RMB in just two years.

Overall, China's plant extract industry, driven by both quality and innovation, shows a broad development prospect and is expected to continue its leading position in the global market in the future.