COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF

Introduced: September 1968

Last revised: January 2006

Classification Context

Section:: HUMAN NECESSITIES
Class:: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; PREPARATION, TREATMENT OR PRESERVATION THEREOF
Subclass:: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF

Description

A23G encompasses processing, formulation, and manufacturing technologies for chocolate, cocoa-based products, confectionery items, chewing gum, and ice-cream, including methods for preparation, treatment, and preservation of these products. The classification covers cocoa substitutes and functional additives integrated into sweet foodstuffs, as well as equipment and processes specific to their production. It excludes non-food applications of cocoa derivatives and addresses the technical aspects of formulation, texturing, and preservation rather than nutritional or therapeutic claims.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass A23G recorded 46,722 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 3,951 in 2013 to 3,148 in 2023 (-20%), peaking at 5,133 applications in 2016. The most active applicants in class A23 are KVASENKOV OLEG IVANOVICH (6,158 applications), NESTLE (4,562 applications) and NESTEC (3,354 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

manufacture of DAIRY PRODUCESHAPING chocolate, confectionery or ice-cream

5 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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A23G 1/00 Cocoa; Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
A23G 3/00 Sweetmeats; Confectionery; Marzipan; Coated or filled products
A23G 4/00 Chewing gum
A23G 7/00 Other apparatus specially adapted for the chocolate or confectionery industry
A23G 9/00 Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor 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