FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)

Introduced: September 1968

Description

A23L covers foods, foodstuffs, and non-alcoholic beverages that do not fall within more specific IPC/CPC classes, along with their preparation and treatment methods. This subclass includes diverse products such as natural foodstuffs (nuts, seeds, spices, coffee, tea), composite food products, dietary supplements, food additives, and beverages like soft drinks and plant-based drinks. It encompasses processing techniques including grinding, mixing, texturizing, fortification, and flavor modification, as well as preservation methods not covered by specialized classes. A23L serves as a residual category for food and beverage inventions not classifiable under dedicated subclasses (A23B–A23K) that address specific product categories such as meat, fish, grain products, or fats and oils.

Title

Titles differ between systems:

IPC: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF

CPC: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)

Full Title

Full titles differ between systems:

IPC:

FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF

CPC:

FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)

Additional Content IPC

Glossary

food foodstuffs foods in addition to the commonly accepted meaning of foods or foodstuffs, the term in this subclass also extends to cover less traditional items such as thickening agents (e.g. starch), flavouring agents, artificial sweeteners or food colouring agents.

Limiting references

Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages

Application references

Edible extracts or preparations for medicinal purposes Preparation of malt for brewing

IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 17 subcodes exist in both systems.

7 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.

IPC defines codes here since 1974.

Child Classifications

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A23L 11/00 Pulses, i.e. fruits of leguminous plants, for production of food; Products from legumes; Preparation or treatment thereof (preservation thereof A23B75/00) since 2016 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 13/00 Meat products; Meat meal; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 15/00 Egg products; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 17/00 Food-from-the-sea products; Fish products; Fish meal; Fish-egg substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 19/00 Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof (marmalades, jams, jellies or the like A23L21/10; treating harvested fruit or vegetables in bulk A23N) since 2016 +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 2/00 Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor (soup concentrates A23L23/10); Preparation or treatment thereof (preparation of non-alcoholic beverages by removal of alcohol C12H3/00) since 1974 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 21/00 Marmalades, jams, jellies or the like; Products from apiculture; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 23/00 Soups; Sauces (soya sauce A23L27/50; salad dressings, mayonnaise or ketchup A23L27/60); Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 25/00 Food consisting mainly of nutmeat or seeds; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 27/00 Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +6 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 29/00 Foods or foodstuffs containing additives (containing additives for modifying the nutritive qualities A23L33/10; containing substantially indigestive additives, e.g. dietary fibres, A23L33/21; containing additives for preservation A23B); Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 31/00 Edible extracts or preparations of fungi; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 33/00 Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 35/00 Foods or foodstuffs not provided for in groups A23L5/00 - A23L33/00; Preparation or treatment thereof (preservation thereof A23B) since 2016 +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 5/00 Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor since 2016 +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 7/00 Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof (preparation of malt for brewing C12C) since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
A23L 9/00 Puddings; Cream substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof since 2016 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC

Top Applicants

Top Applicants (IPC)

Class A23,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

KVASENKOV OLEG IVANOVICH RU 6,158
NESTLE CH 4,562
NESTEC CH 3,354
JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 2,699
DSM IP ASSETS (DUTCH STATE MINES IP ASSETS) NL 2,320
SUNTORY HOLDINGS JP 1,926
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 1,804
CJ CHEILJEDANG CORPORATION KR 1,653
CARGILL US 1,588
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (RURAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION) KR 1,314

Top Applicants (CPC)

Class A23,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

NESTLE CH 5,075
NESTEC CH 3,916
DSM IP ASSETS (DUTCH STATE MINES IP ASSETS) NL 2,558
JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 2,196
SUNTORY HOLDINGS JP 2,133
CJ CHEILJEDANG CORPORATION KR 1,842
CARGILL US 1,708
REPUBLIC OF KOREA (RURAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION) KR 1,341
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 1,279
MARS US 1,161