The international standard project “Edible bird’s nest—Specification”, proposed and led by CNIS, was officially approved by ISO in January 2026. A working group on “Edible birds nest” was also established by ISO, with an expert from the Sub-Institute of Agriculture and Biotechnology Standardization at CNIS serving as convenor and project leader.

Edible birds nest, a popular nutritional agricultural product among Chinese consumers, is mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Currently, nearly all such products consumed in China are imported from these regions, with Indonesia accounting for 60%, Malaysia 25%, and Thailand 14%. Due to a high market value, issues such as counterfeiting, adulteration, and quality inconsistencies are prevalent in the global market.

Since 2012, the Sub-institute of Agriculture and Biotechnology Standardization has led or participated in the development of a series of sectoral and association standards covering quality grades of bird’s nest, birds nest products, and fresh stewed bird’s nest. These efforts have played an important role in promoting quality-based pricing in Chinas bird’s nest market and protecting consumers interests.

The ISO standard will regulate quality requirements in international trade, specifying sensory indicators such as color, taste, odor, texture, and impurities, as well as physicochemical indicators including sialic acid, protein, moisture, ash, and total sugar content. It will also establish scientifically unified testing methods for these indicators, ensuring fairness and transparency in global bird’s nest trade.