EDIBLE OILS OR FATS, e.g. MARGARINES, SHORTENINGS OR COOKING OILS (preservation thereof A23B20/00; production, refinement or preservation of animal or vegetable fats or oils C11B, C11C)

Description

A23D covers the composition, manufacture, and treatment of edible oils and fats, including margarines, shortenings, and cooking oils. This classification encompasses formulation processes such as hydrogenation, emulsification, and blending, as well as modifications to improve functional properties like spreadability, stability, or nutritional content. Technologies for producing reduced-fat products, structured lipids, and specialty fats for specific food applications fall within this scope. Adjacent classes address upstream oil extraction (A23C covers dairy and related products), downstream food preparation using these oils (A23L), and non-food industrial uses of oils and fats (C11B).

Filing statistics

CPC subclass A23D recorded 17,436 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 1,359 in 2013 to 1,221 in 2023 (-10%), peaking at 1,993 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class A23 are NESTLE (5,075 applications), NESTEC (3,916 applications) and DSM IP ASSETS (DUTCH STATE MINES IP ASSETS) (2,558 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings