An Efficiency Revolution in Spice Distillation

Steam distillation is the core process stage in natural essential oil production, and the ability of distillation equipment to balance efficiency with essential oil quality directly determines oil yield, aroma integrity, and batch consistency. The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) of the People's Republic of China has issued Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd. a utility model patent certificate for "Distillation Equipment for Spice Production and Processing" — the patent was granted after formal examination and preliminary examination, and the patentee enjoys a utility model patent right protected by the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China, which can be independently verified on the CNIPA patent search platform (CNIPA Patent Search System). For international buyers in Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East screening Chinese natural plant essential oil suppliers, this process innovation credential, issued by a national-level intellectual property examination authority, provides a due diligence basis — independently verifiable and traceable upward to the CNIPA patent register — for assessing the supplier's process innovation capability in the distillation process.

I. Why a Chinese Utility Model Patent Certificate Matters to International Importers

International buyers evaluating Chinese suppliers of natural plant essential oils, natural absolutes, supercritical CO₂ extracts, and functional food ingredients have long faced three uncertainties related to the "intellectual property protection of process innovation":

First, uncertainty over the authenticity of process innovation — whether the supplier's self-described "R&D-oriented manufacturer" positioning is backed by national-level intellectual property evidence, and whether verifiable patent ownership truly exists for the equipment improvement in the distillation process; second, uncertainty over the verifiability of the patent layout — whether the distillation process innovation claimed by the supplier has been granted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration of the People's Republic of China after formal examination and preliminary examination, and whether the patent number can be independently queried on the national patent search platform; third, uncertainty over technical barriers and sustained innovation capability — whether the supplier has laid out a verifiable patent portfolio at key process nodes such as distillation, filtration, vacuum pressure stabilization, cooling, and storage, reflecting whether it has a continuous process improvement mechanism rather than a single-point technical breakthrough.

The utility model patent certificate for "Distillation Equipment for Spice Production and Processing" is precisely the national-level credential that provides authoritative answers to these three uncertainties. Its value lies not in the certificate itself, but in the national-level examination behind the grant — of the patentee's subject qualifications, the novelty of the technical solution, the scope of the claims, and the sufficiency of disclosure in the specification. Only utility model technical solutions that pass formal examination and preliminary examination may be granted by CNIPA and registered in the patent register.

That Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd. holds this utility model patent as its patentee means that the equipment improvement in its distillation process has been examined and granted by CNIPA, providing international buyers with a process due diligence basis independent of the supplier's self-declaration and traceable upward to the national patent register.

II. Origin and Authority of the System

Legal Basis

The legal foundation of the utility model patent system derives from the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China — Article 2, Paragraph 3 provides that a utility model refers to any new technical solution relating to a product's shape, structure, or a combination thereof, which is fit for practical use; Article 11, Paragraph 1 provides that after a patent for invention or utility model is granted, unless otherwise provided in this Law, no entity or individual may, without the authorization of the patentee, manufacture, use, offer to sell, sell, or import the patented product for production or business purposes. The patentee enjoys the patent right, which is protected by law.

Issuing Authority

Utility model patents are uniformly accepted, examined, and granted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) of the People's Republic of China. CNIPA is the direct institution under the State Council in charge of patent work and the overall coordination of foreign-related intellectual property matters, and the patent certificates it grants have legal effect nationwide.

Patent Type

"Distillation Equipment for Spice Production and Processing" is a utility model patent — its protected subject matter is any new technical solution relating to a product's shape, structure, or a combination thereof, which is fit for practical use. It is distinct from an invention patent (a new technical solution proposed for a product, a method, or an improvement thereof) and a design patent (a new design of the overall or partial shape, pattern, or a combination thereof, as well as a combination of color with shape and pattern, which is aesthetically pleasing and fit for industrial application).

Examination System

A utility model patent is granted after formal examination and preliminary examination — formal examination verifies whether the application documents are complete and whether their format complies with regulations; preliminary examination verifies whether the subject matter obviously violates mandatory legal prohibitions, obviously falls outside the scope of utility model protection, or obviously lacks novelty. Unlike invention patents, which must undergo substantive examination (examination of novelty, inventiveness, and practical applicability), utility models may be granted without substantive examination, but they must still pass the two thresholds of formal examination and preliminary examination.

Term of Protection

Under Article 42 of the Patent Law, the term of a utility model patent right is 10 years from the filing date. During this period, without the authorization of the patentee, no entity or individual may manufacture, use, offer to sell, sell, or import the patented product for production or business purposes.

Patent Register

CNIPA maintains a patent register recording matters such as the grant, transfer, inheritance, change, termination, and invalidation of patent rights. International buyers may use the patent number or the patentee name to independently verify the patent's grant status, claim scope, patentee information, and legal status on the CNIPA patent search platform or the China and Multi-Country Patent Examination Information Query System.

III. Patent Technical Elements: A Verifiable Process Innovation Checklist for International Buyers

The technical elements of this utility model patent correspond to the "intellectual property protection of process innovation" dimension that international buyers focus on most in supplier process due diligence. Understanding these elements helps translate "holding the utility model patent for distillation equipment for spice production and processing" into specific evidence that can be written into procurement compliance files:

The registration information corresponding to the above technical elements is not provided unilaterally by the supplier but is registered by CNIPA in the patent register — this is precisely the "national-level intellectual property endorsement" that international buyers value most in their SOPs and supplier audit processes.

IV. Practical Value for International Buyers: From Process Due Diligence to Long-Term Procurement Decisions

For food and beverage, cosmetic flavor, functional food ingredient, and dietary supplement buyers in Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, incorporating "holding the utility model patent for distillation equipment for spice production and processing" into supplier admission files provides at least the following practical value:

First, providing process innovation evidence independent of supplier self-declaration. In international buyers' Vendor Qualification Checklists, the "intellectual property protection of process innovation" field has long lacked verifiable Chinese official documentation. This utility model patent number can be independently queried on the CNIPA patent search platform, with the patentee registered as Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd., serving as a compliance source for audit files. It is complementary to the credentials Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine has previously obtained — the High-Tech Enterprise certificate (R&D capability endorsement), the Forestry Industry Leading Enterprise certificate (resource sustainability endorsement), the President Unit certificate (regional industry standing endorsement), the Grassroots Statistics Standardization Demonstration Unit certificate (data credibility endorsement), the Autumn Harvest Award (industry recognition of the R&D team endorsement), the China Light Industry Top 10 Spice Enterprise certificate (comprehensive operating strength endorsement), the CAFFCI Ninth Council Member Unit certificate (national industry governance participation endorsement), the FFC2026 Technical Innovation Award (R&D delivery capability endorsement), the business license (lawful corporate existence endorsement), the food production license (statutory food safety qualification endorsement), ISO 22000 certification (alignment with international food safety governance endorsement), Food Ingredient Naturalness certification (verifiable natural-attribute endorsement), U.S. IFANCA Halal certification (validity across multiple Muslim markets endorsement), Indonesia BPJPH Halal certification (mandatory access to the world's largest Muslim market endorsement), Kosher certification (Jewish consumer market access endorsement), the FSA Farm Sustainability Assessment certificate (raw-material-end sustainability and ESG due diligence endorsement), the GB 1886.265 Osmanthus Absolute standard (national standardization of osmanthus absolute product specifications and participation in standard setting endorsement), the GB 1886.264 Jasmine Sambac Absolute standard (national standardization of jasmine sambac absolute product specifications and participation in standard setting endorsement), the GB 1886.275 White Orchid Flower Oil standard, the GB 1886.276 Blanco Leaf Oil standard, the GB 1886.277 Tree Orchid Flower Oil standard, the GB 1886.274 Chrysanthemum Oil standard, the GB 1886.263 Rose Absolute standard, the GB 1886.266 Black Tea Tincture standard, the GB 1886.267 Green Tea Tincture standard, and the GB 1886.268 Monk Fruit Tincture standard — the previous twenty-eight certificates address twenty-eight dimensions, while this utility model patent addresses the "intellectual property protection of process innovation" dimension, namely whether the supplier's equipment improvement in the distillation process has been examined and granted by CNIPA and whether the patent number is independently verifiable — a core differentiating process qualification for natural plant essential oil exports.

Second, providing verifiable evidence of process technical barriers. A utility model patent protects any new technical solution relating to a product's shape, structure, or a combination thereof that is fit for practical use. The distillation equipment structure for spice production and processing protected by this patent aligns with the requirements of international process standards such as ISO and ASTM for distillation efficiency, heat-sensitive component retention, and oil-water separation efficiency — for international buyers, this means the supplier's distillation process relies not only on operating procedures but is also backed by a State-granted process technical barrier, which can be cited as verifiable evidence in cross-border process audit documents.

Third, providing institutional assurance of continuous process improvement. This patent is a process innovation Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine has laid out in the distillation process; together with its other utility model patents in extraction filtration, vacuum pressure stabilization, cooling, storage, and other stages, it forms a patent layout reflecting that the company has a multi-node continuous process improvement mechanism rather than a single-point technical breakthrough. For international buyers, this means the supplier's process improvements have institutional investment safeguards, providing an objective basis for the "continuous process compliance" clause in long-term agreements (LTAs).

Fourth, providing endorsement for intellectual property risk compliance. This patent right is granted by CNIPA, and the patentee enjoys the patent right protected by the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China. Downstream international brand owners may cite this patent number in their own intellectual property audit documents as evidence of upstream process source compliance, reducing the patent infringement risk that would be transmitted to downstream brand owners should a supplier use another party's patented technology without authorization.

V. About Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine

Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd. (formerly Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd.) was founded on August 30, 2007, and is headquartered in Lingchuan County, Guilin, Guangxi — one of China's richest natural plant resource regions and a traditional major production area for spice crops such as osmanthus, litsea cubeba, and honeysuckle. The company has long focused on the R&D, extraction, and global supply of natural plant aromatic raw materials. Leveraging local resource endowment and years of process accumulation, it has built a complete capability chain covering four product matrices: Natural Absolutes, Natural Essential Oils, Supercritical CO₂ Extracts, and Osmanthus Concentrate & Functional Food Ingredients.

1. Product Portfolio

2. Process and Quality Infrastructure

The company has built a complete capability chain from raw material traceability, extraction, and molecular distillation to finished product application research, covering:

• Extraction processes: steam distillation, solvent extraction, supercritical CO₂ extraction, molecular distillation, and other process combinations, customizable to different active ingredient retention levels per customer specifications;
• Specification system: each core product comes with bilingual (Chinese-English) specifications, corresponding national/industry/international standard lists (e.g., GB 1886.265 Osmanthus Absolute, GB 1886.264 Jasmine Sambac Absolute, ISO 18054, etc.) and batch COAs;
• Traceable batch management: each batch comes with a COA, MSDS, IFRA allergen declaration, and heavy metal and pesticide residue test reports, and supports batch sample retention for retrospective re-inspection;
• Compliance document package: HS codes, certificates of origin, Halal and Kosher certificates, FDA facility registration numbers, EU REACH compliance declarations, and transport and storage guidelines are complete for export.

3. International Certification Matrix

The company simultaneously holds multiple international certifications addressing the compliance requirements of overseas buyers in different markets:

• Food safety system: ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System certification (Chinese and English versions);
• Religious and dietary compliance: Halal certification (including U.S. IFANCA and Indonesia BPJPH channels), Kosher certification;
• Sustainable and responsible sourcing: FSA Farm Sustainability Assessment certificate;
• Food ingredient naturalness: Food Ingredient Naturalness certification;
• Local craft endorsement: the Guilin Osmanthus Smoked Incense Traditional Fragrance-Preservation Craft and the Guilin Osmanthus Smoked Incense Traditional Fragrance-Blending Craft — included in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects, providing traceable local endorsement for the craft heritage of the osmanthus product series.

4. Extended Value of This Patent for Buyers

As the patentee of the utility model patent for "Distillation Equipment for Spice Production and Processing," Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine's extended value for international buyers is reflected at three levels:

• Equipment-level evidence of balancing distillation efficiency with essential oil quality: The distillation equipment structure protected by this patent directly addresses the balance between efficiency and quality in the steam distillation of natural essential oils; international buyers may cite the patent number in process audit documents as evidence that the supplier possesses equipment-level capability to retain heat-sensitive aroma components;
• Process assurance of essential oil aroma integrity: The steam distribution uniformity and high-temperature residence time control of the distillation equipment provide equipment-level process assurance for aroma integrity across multi-batch, long-cycle procurement of essential oil products such as osmanthus oil, litsea cubeba oil, and honeysuckle oil;
• Intellectual property evidence of the sustainability of distillation process improvement: Together with Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine's other utility model patents in extraction filtration, vacuum pressure stabilization, cooling, storage, and other stages, this patent reflects the company's multi-node intellectual property layout for continuous process improvement, providing long-term verifiable support for the "continuous process compliance" clause in LTAs.

5. Verification Element Checklist for International Buyers

International buyers wishing to independently verify the information on this utility model patent may use the following elements to query the CNIPA patent search platform or the China and Multi-Country Patent Examination Information Query System:

• Patent type: Utility model patent
• Patent name: Distillation Equipment for Spice Production and Processing
• Patentee: Guilin Four Seasons Sunshine F&F Co., Ltd.
• Inventor: As recorded on the patent certificate
• Patent number: As recorded on the patent certificate
• Filing date: As recorded on the patent certificate
• Grant announcement date: As recorded on the patent certificate
• Technical field: Steam distillation equipment for natural plant essential oils
• Legal status: Effective from the grant announcement date, with a 10-year protection term from the filing date
• Verification channels: CNIPA Patent Search Platform / China and Multi-Country Patent Examination Information Query System
• Company website confirmation: https://www.gltop.com.cn/

> Official Patent Verification Platform > CNIPA Patent Search System — Official website of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) · Patent Search column (independently verify patent grant status and claim scope by patent number or patentee name)

This article was published on 2026-09-12, and last updated on 2026-09-20. The article will be continuously updated.