Two natural fragrance standards, including the General Guidelines for Regional Advantageous Fragrances in the Aromatic Industry, have been reviewed and issued by national experts

In recent years, China's aromatic industry has become a new force to stabilize the overall economic market, help rural revitalization and drive the entire national economic growth, in the context of the country's proposal to take the health industry as a national pillar strategic industry, the formulation and improvement of the standardization of the aromatic industry has become a top priority
.

As an influential industry group nationwide, Beijing Incense Culture Promotion Association has always kept in mind its original mission and shouldered the responsibility of the times, and released the world's first natural incense standardization system in 2019, which not only played a leading and boosting role in the development of the industry, but also became a link between culture and industry, China and the world in terms of the traditional Chinese cultural elements and connotations of its standards
.
Once the standard was launched, it received great attention and praise
from the industry.
In 2021, focusing on the current situation of the domestic market, the policy requirements of national health, the internationalization of the aromatic industry and the protection of multiple dimensions of China's excellent culture, after full research, discussion, consultation and demonstration, the Beijing Incense Culture Promotion Association finally decided to establish the standardization and compilation of the "General Guidelines for Regional Advantageous Fragrances in the Aromatic Industry" and "General Guidelines for Aromatic Industry Job Qualifications", which were drafted by outstanding experts, scholars, industries and enterprises from all over the country
.

The "General Guidelines for Regional Advantageous Fragrances in the Aromatic Industry" is to implement the national plan for promoting the inheritance and development of traditional crafts, aiming at traditional craft projects with regional characteristics, hoping to promote the inheritance of traditional crafts through the formulation and release of standards, so as to cultivate and form industrial belts or industrial clusters
with traditional craft advantages.
How to integrate non-indicative elements such as geography and humanities into the standard without losing fairness is a great challenge
for the formulation of standards.
For example, how to determine and measure the weight of the definition of "regional advantage", including various elements such as authentic incense materials, (intangible cultural heritage) cultural inheritance, and specific craftsmanship? The same is true of the compilation of the "General Guidelines for Job Qualifications in the Aromatic Industry", is China's "Hehe" culture combined with the blending of fragrance posts defined as "Hexiang Master" or "Hexiang Master"? In historical texts, "Hexiang" and "Hexiang" are used mixed, there is no clear boundary, and the inclusion in the standard should not only ensure the accuracy of the standard, but also protect the continuation of culture, so the standard drafting group completed the draft
of the two standards in a serious, rigorous and responsible spirit after more than a year 。 In the "General Guidelines for Regional Advantageous Fragrances in the Aromatic Industry", the relevant general terms and definitions of the conformity assessment of regional advantageous fragrances, as well as the evaluation principles, evaluation plans, and review absences, and including the follow-up work criteria of the evaluation; In the "General Guidelines for Job Qualifications in the Aromatic Industry", the classification, grade, qualification conditions and training, assessment and evaluation criteria of seven positions, namely incense planter, fragrant wood seedling worker, incense manufacturer, incense artist, fragrance appraiser and aromatic health care teacher, are determined, in order to standardize the professional behavior of aromatic industry personnel, improve business ability, and provide an appraisal basis
for vocational job skills in all aspects of the aromatic industry.
After the completion of the standard, an online expert review meeting
was held in May 2022 in accordance with the process.

The judging experts came from the industry elites from all over the country, including Mr.
Lin Chengjie, member of the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Fragrances, Flavors and Cosmetics, Professor Ma Xiaotong of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Professor Cheng Tangren, Executive Director of the National Flower Engineering Technology Research Center, Professor Jiang Xiwang of Jianghan University, Professor Jin Chenggang of Beijing Normal University, Professor Lu Guohua of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Yi Fengping of the Department of Flavor, Fragrance and Cosmetics of Shanghai Institute of Technology, Professor Liu Song, Deputy Director of CGAPA Expert Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Dr.
Xiao Lei of Peking University, Dr.
Li Yinlong, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, etc
.
The experts first affirmed the necessity and importance of these two standards, and conducted heated and in-depth discussions and exchanges
on the new topics proposed in the standards with oriental incense cultural connotations and combined with some definitions and contents of modern aromatic concepts as creative topics.
Many new ideas were formed through the discussions, and valuable amendments were proposed to the drafting group
.
Based on the opinions raised by experts, the drafting group repeatedly revised, changed and improved for four months, and held the second online expert review meeting in September 2022, which was unanimously approved
.

The aromatic industry has occupied a place in the health industry and is closely related to the people's lives, involving agriculture, forestry, daily necessities, education, tourism, management and other fields; Aromatic products cover traditional Chinese medicine herbal health care industry, spice food industry, aromatic plant planting, skin care and beauty industry, traditional fragrance industry and other aspects
.
The innovation of the group standard formulation has paved the way for the maturity of the complexity of the aroma industry standards in the future
.
As Lin Chengjie, a member of the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Fragrances, Flavors and Cosmetics, commented: "With the enhancement of national strength, the aroma industry has developed
from online and offline specific plant essential oils, incense, coil incense, tower incense, perfume, sachet and other tangible products to the direction of aroma industry software such as aroma art presentation, aroma production technology and fragrance skills.
" The two group standards of "General Guidelines for Regional Advantageous Products in the Aromatic Industry" and "General Guidelines for Job Qualifications in the Aromatic Industry" reviewed this time are of great significance
to the selection of industry standards and the evaluation of job practitioners.
This is a great thing, creating a new field, the traditional Chinese incense defined in the aromatic industry standards is completely different from the industrial version of incense we understand, and is an important carrier and element
to highlight the confidence of Chinese culture and spread traditional Chinese culture.
”

Lin Chengjie shared his understanding of incense for more than 30 years: "For a period of time, the fragrance industry has used less and less natural raw materials for the economic interests of individual enterprises, and chemical chemicals and fragrances have enriched 85% of the market
.
Incense is originally a trinity of aroma, fragrance and charm, but chemical synthetics, only aroma has no fragrance, let alone fragrance.

This creates a potential and long-term intrusion
on the spiritual healing that the aromatic industry is meant to carry.
The incense materials purchased by consumers have fragrance without rhyme, and the incense activities are out of shape, which is not conducive to the development of
the aromatic industry in the long run.
”

The drafting of the standard is China Food News, Beijing Folk Museum, National Flower Engineering Technology Research Center, Institute of Incense Culture of Yunnan University for Nationalities, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Fragrance and Cosmetics of Shanghai University of Technology, Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China International Education Television, Beijing Huitong Xiang Culture Research Institute, Kunming Aromatic Biotechnology Co.
, Ltd.
, Fujian Natural Incense Culture Association, Jiangxi Ancient Xiang Jinyun Health Industry Co.
, Ltd.
, Hebei Quyang Carving School, Meizhou Shengpin Agarwood Museum, Oufang Biotechnology (Shanghai) Co.
, Ltd.
, Yunnan Zhihe Xiangye Culture Co.
, Ltd.
, Tianjin Xinyi Xiang Cultural Exchange Center, Dalian Jiuwu Xiangtang Incense Making Co.
, Ltd.
, Beijing Xiangguang Auspicious Culture Communication Co.
, Ltd.
, Beijing Shangyijia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianfu Aromatherapy Health Technology Research Institute, etc
.

Responsible Editor: Zhang Jiazhen Review: Wang Jinchen