Industry Experts and Long-time Consumers Visit COFCO Suntree’s OEM Factory–Zhongtian Bee Industry–for a Honey Tasting Event

On March 22, 2023, jointly organized by COFCO Suntree Natural Foods (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Zhongtian Bee Industry, a honey tasting event was held at the Xi’an Yanliang Honey Processing Plant – the self-built factory of Zhongtian Bee Industry and a strategic partner and OEM factory of COFCO Suntree.

The event brought together:

Professor Cao Wei – Associate Dean and Doctoral Supervisor of the School of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest University; Executive Director and Deputy Secretary General of the Apicultural Society of China; Executive Director of the China Bee Products Association; and Chief Referee of the National Good Honey Sensory Quality Competition.

Professor Li Jiuzhou – Chief Expert of the Shaanxi Bee Industry System; Researcher at Yangling Vocational & Technical College; Member of the National Chinese Bee Cooperation Committee; Technical Expert of the China Bee Products Association.

Lyu Huanming – Senior Agronomist of Shaanxi Province; Executive Director of the Apicultural Society of China and the China Bee Products Association; Sensory Evaluation Expert of the National Good Honey Competition.

Yu Xiaojin – Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Yanliang District Market Supervision Administration, Xi’an.

Long-time consumers – Chen Xu, Bu Ningping, and others.

They visited the factory to experience honey culture, tour the production process, and conduct onsite sensory evaluations of the acacia mature honey produced by the Yanliang plant for COFCO Suntree.

Also participating in the event were: Wang Peng – Party Branch Secretary and General Manager of COFCO Suntree Natural Foods (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; Xing Yan’an – General Manager of Zhongtian Bee Industry; Sun Jianli – Plant Manager; and relevant staff from production, quality control, procurement, and R&D.

On-site Tasting of Bulk Raw Acacia Mature Honey

Party Branch Secretary and General Manager Wang Peng of COFCO Suntree, together with General Manager Xing Yan’an of Zhongtian Bee Industry, personally sampled the bulk raw acacia mature honey that the Yanliang plant supplies to COFCO Suntree, directly from the warehouse.

Honey Samples on Display

COFCO Suntree Acacia Mature Honey – samples presented for evaluation.

Leaders, Experts, and Consumers Gather for Exchange of Views

Yu Xiaojin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Market Supervision Administration, remarked:
“The Xi’an Yanliang Honey Processing Plant is the only honey processing enterprise in Yanliang District. For over twenty years, it has consistently complied with laws and regulations, maintained steady improvement in product quality, and passed numerous random inspections with product standards met, earning the trust of consumers both at home and abroad. Zhongtian Bee Industry has implemented the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and made significant contributions to poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in Shaanxi. In particular, over the 15 years of strategic cooperation with COFCO Suntree, the company has always pursued survival through quality and development through integrity. Holding this tasting event at the factory further demonstrates that both COFCO Suntree and the Yanliang plant attach great importance to quality and take responsibility for consumers. I believe the Yanliang plant will continue to ensure product quality, fulfill its OEM commitments to COFCO Suntree, and provide better premium bee products to the market for the benefit of consumers.”

A representative of long-time consumers shared:
“I and my family have been consuming COFCO Suntree acacia mature honey for over ten years. My children and I especially love its taste – rich acacia blossom aroma, refreshing flavor, and clear color. As loyal customers, we trust the reputable COFCO Suntree brand and the meticulous work of the Yanliang plant. The multiple batches tasted today all scored high in overall color, aroma, and taste. As devoted customers, we thank COFCO Suntree and the Yanliang plant for their trust in us, and we hope they will continue to provide more and better acacia mature honey to safeguard public health.”

Professor Cao Wei, as the head of the expert evaluation group, pointed out:
“There is a wide variety of bee products, each with different sensory indicators of color, aroma, taste, and appearance. It is urgent to accelerate the establishment of sensory evaluation standards for honey products, following the example of the liquor and tea industries. As an OEM factory for COFCO Suntree, the largest full-chain bee product manufacturer in the northwest, and the only honey processing enterprise in the region that exports bee products, Zhongtian Yanliang plant has always focused on Shaanxi acacia honey as its flagship variety. It manufactures according to Japanese standards to ensure product quality. Particularly for the acacia mature honey produced for COFCO Suntree, the color, aroma, and taste are all excellent under Japanese standards. Through today’s evaluation, the expert group unanimously agrees that the acacia mature honey produced by the Yanliang plant for COFCO Suntree meets all standard requirements and is of good quality. We hope both parties will continue this partnership and strengthen sensory standard alignment, while also meeting the sensory preferences of different consumers, offering even better acacia mature honey to customers at home and abroad.”

Wang Peng, Party Branch Secretary and General Manager of COFCO Suntree Natural Foods (Beijing) Co., Ltd., stated:
“Today, COFCO Suntree and the Yanliang plant jointly organized this acacia mature honey tasting competition to improve the overall quality standards of COFCO Suntree’s acacia mature honey – especially in terms of sensory indicators. As the living standards of our people and consumers continue to rise, there is a growing demand for higher honey standards, not only in nutrition but also in sensory qualities such as color and aroma. COFCO Suntree and the Yanliang plant have been strategic partners for over 15 years. As a full-chain enterprise in the bee industry in Northwest China and an OEM factory audited and approved by COFCO Group, the Yanliang plant has demonstrated stable overall product quality. The acacia mature honey tasted today is excellent overall. I hope the Yanliang plant, while maintaining excellent internal quality metrics, will also pay more attention to sensory standards. This will ensure that consumers not only enjoy nutritious products but also feel more satisfied and assured. In the future, COFCO Suntree will intensify its strategic cooperation with the Yanliang plant, working together to provide more natural, nutritious, healthy, and appealing bee products to consumers worldwide. By doing so, we aim to gain consumer recognition, increase the market share of the Suntree brand, and support rural revitalization efforts in Shaanxi.”

General Manager Xing Yan’an delivered a concluding statement:
“Since its establishment, the Yanliang plant has adhered to the principle of ‘quality first.’ Over more than twenty years of export operations, there has never been a single quality issue, earning wide recognition and favor from domestic and international clients. As an OEM factory for COFCO Suntree over the past fifteen years, we have regarded the COFCO Suntree brand as our own lifeline, strictly controlling standards and providing excellent services in every aspect. Please rest assured, dear experts, consumers, market regulators, and COFCO Suntree – we will take this tasting event as an opportunity to continue our efforts. While maintaining internal quality control, we will also establish sensory standards and ensure sensory quality. This will allow everyone to enjoy not only nutrition and health but also greater satisfaction and peace of mind. Once again, thank you all for your strong support.”

The “Zero-Distance Visit to COFCO Suntree’s OEM Factory – Honey Tasting Event” concluded successfully.
General Manager Xing, General Manager Wang, Secretary Yu Xiaojin, along with the experts and consumers, posed for a group photo to mark the occasion.