ISO 24063:2026

Traditional Chinese medicine — Ziziphus jujuba fruit

This document specifies the minimum requirements and test methods for Ziziphus jujuba fruit. This document is applicable to Ziziphus jujuba fruit that is sold and used as herbal raw materials in the international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and decoction pieces derived from these plants.

Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Fruit du jujubier (Ziziphus jujuba)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 10-May-2026
• ICS: 11.120.10 - Medicaments
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 11-May-2026
• Due Date: 13-Dec-2026
• Completion Date: 11-May-2026

Overview

ISO 24063:2026 - Traditional Chinese Medicine - Ziziphus jujuba Fruit establishes the minimum quality requirements and test methods for Ziziphus jujuba fruit, commonly known as jujube, Chinese date, or Da Zao. This international standard is vital for organizations engaged in the trade, processing, and application of Ziziphus jujuba as herbal raw material. It includes whole medicinal materials and decoction pieces derived from these plants, supporting international trade and ensuring safety and quality across borders.

With the global rise in demand for Ziziphus jujuba fruit as a health food supplement and traditional medicine, the need for harmonized standards has become essential. ISO 24063:2026 supports safe international commerce and higher product consistency in the industry, aligning with the requirements of national and regional pharmacopoeias.

Key Topics

ISO 24063:2026 covers the following fundamental areas:

• Product Description: Defines the botanical origin, key characteristics, and structure of Ziziphus jujuba fruit.
• Minimum Quality Requirements: Specifies standards for general appearance, cleanliness, absence of foreign matter, moisture, total ash, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, pesticide residues, and aflatoxins.
• Identification and Examination: Provides guidelines for macroscopic and microscopic identification, as well as thin-layer chromatography (TLC) procedures for product verification.
• Test Methods: Details standardized methods for assessing quality, including:
  • Determination of moisture and total ash
  • Assessment of polysaccharide content
  • Evaluation of heavy metals and pesticide residues
  • Quantification of aflatoxins
• Packaging, Storage, and Transportation: Recommends practices to protect the product integrity, ensure safe handling, and prevent contamination.
• Marking and Labelling: Outlines labelling requirements, ensuring traceability and regulatory compliance.

Applications

Ziziphus jujuba fruit is highly valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties and is utilized in multiple sectors:

• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Incorporated into various formulations for nourishing blood, supporting digestion, and improving sleep quality. Popular in both raw and decoction forms.
• Health Food Industry: Used as a dietary supplement and in processed forms such as jams, teas, juices, wines, and baked goods.
• International Trade: As the international demand and trade volume increase, adhering to ISO 24063:2026 guarantees product safety, authenticity, and quality for importers, exporters, manufacturers, and regulatory authorities.
• Pharmaceuticals and Herbal Markets: Ensures consistency with recognized standards like the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Pharmacopoeias, facilitating acceptance in regulated markets.
• Quality Control and Laboratory Testing: Laboratories and quality assurance teams apply the standard's test methods to validate product quality and detect contaminants.

Related Standards

For comprehensive quality assurance and compliance, organizations should consider the following related ISO standards:

• ISO 18664: Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in traditional Chinese medicine.
• ISO/TS 21310: Microscopic examination of medicinal herbs.
• ISO 21371: Labelling requirements of products intended for oral or topical use.
• ISO 22217: Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces.
• ISO 22258: Determination of pesticide residues in natural products by gas chromatography.
• ISO 22283: Determination of aflatoxins in natural products by LC-FLD.
• ISO 22590: Determination of sulfur dioxide in natural products by titration.
• ISO 23723: General requirements for herbal raw material and materia medica.

By following ISO 24063:2026 alongside these complementary standards, businesses and regulators can promote safer trade, consumer trust, and regulatory compliance within the growing market for Ziziphus jujuba fruit and traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

Standards Content (Sample)

FINAL DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/FDIS 24063
ISO/TC 249/SC 1
Traditional Chinese medicine —
Secretariat: SAC
Ziziphus jujuba fruit
Voting begins on:
2026-02-20
Voting terminates on:
2026-04-17
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
Reference number
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en) © ISO 2026

FINAL DRAFT
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
International
Standard
ISO/FDIS 24063
ISO/TC 249/SC 1
Traditional Chinese medicine —
Secretariat: SAC
Ziziphus jujuba fruit
Voting begins on:
Voting terminates on:
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
© ISO 2026
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland Reference number
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en) © ISO 2026

ii
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 2
5 Requirements and recommendations . 2
5.1 General characteristics .2
5.2 Morphological features .2
5.3 Microscopic characteristics .3
5.4 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification .3
5.5 Foreign matter .3
5.6 Moisture .3
5.7 Total ash .4
5.8 Total polysaccharides .4
5.9 Heavy metals .4
5.10 Sulfur dioxide . .4
5.11 Pesticide residues .4
5.12 Aflatoxins .4
6 Sampling . 4
7 Test methods . 4
7.1 Macroscopic identification .4
7.2 Microscopic examination .4
7.3 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification .4
7.4 Determination of foreign matters .4
7.5 Determination of moisture content .4
7.6 Determination of total ash content .4
7.7 Determination of total polysaccharides content .5
7.8 Determination of heavy metals content .5
7.9 Determination of sulfur dioxide content .5
7.10 Determination of pesticide residues content .5
7.11 Determination of aflatoxins content .5
8 Test report . 5
9 Packaging, storage and transportation . 5
10 Marking and labelling . 5
Annex A (informative) Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification . 7
Annex B (informative) Determination of total polysaccharides content . 9
Annex C (informative) Reference information of national and regional requirements .10
Bibliography .11

iii
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 249, Traditional medicine, Subcommittee SC 1,
Traditional Chinese medicine.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
Introduction
Ziziphus jujuba fruit (the Chinese Pinyin name is Da Zao) is also called Jujubae Fructus, Jujube, Chinese date,
or Red date. It is the dried ripe fruit of Ziziphus jujuba Mill., Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder, or
Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. hoonensis T. B. Lee (Fam. Rhamnaceae).
Ziziphus jujuba fruit has been commonly consumed as health food supplement and traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) for thousands of years due to its high nutritional and medicinal values. In Huangdi Neijing
[1]
(475–221 BC), a classic medical text from ancient China, Ziziphus jujuba fruit was recorded as an extremely
[2]
valuable fruit. According to Shennong Bencao Jing written between 300 BC and 200 AD, one of the earliest
books specializing in Chinese medicine, Ziziphus jujuba fruit was regarded as one of the top-grade medicinal
herbs that can extend one’s life expectancy by nourishing blood, increasing sleep quality and improving the
digestive system. A growing number of studies are proposing various beneficial nutrients of Ziziphus jujuba
fruit, including flavonoid, polysaccharide, triterpenic acid, nucleoside, saponin, alkaloid, carbohydrate,
dietary fibre, mineral, vitamin, amino acid, fatty acid, and protein. Thus, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is considered
worldwide as a nutritious food.
As a special medicinal and edible material, Ziziphus jujuba fruit has attracted significant international
attention and demand. Based on the PubMed database, over the last decade, 25 countries and regions have
carried out relevant research on Ziziphus jujuba fruit. Based on the statistics of the General Administration
of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, the import and export trade volume of Ziziphus jujuba fruit
was 9 895 t, 11 175 t, 13 372 t, 17 179 t and 21 690 t in China from 2017 to 2021, respectively, worth a
total of 1,5 billion CNY. There are approximately 90 trading countries and regions of Ziziphus jujuba fruit
in the world, and the number is still increasing. In particular, the average annual import trade volume of
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan (Province of China), Viet Nam, Singapore, the United States of America, Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, Indonesia and Iran reached 100 tons per
year.
Today, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is widely cultivated in more than 40 countries and regions, especially in China,
the Republic of Korea, and Japan. However, the quality of Ziziphus jujuba fruit provided from different areas
or by different cultivators is quite different. Although Ziziphus jujuba fruit has been recorded in the Chinese
Pharmacopoeia, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia and the Korean Pharmacopoeia, these standards are not
harmonized and can be unsuitable for the purpose of international trade of Ziziphus jujuba fruit. Thus, there
is a clear and urgent need to develop an International Standard for harmonizing the existing standards, as
well as ensuring the safety and quality of Ziziphus jujuba fruit.
Ziziphus jujuba fruit has rich nutritional and medicinal values. For example, of the 1 607 formulations in the
Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), 55 (3,42 % of the total) include ingredients of Ziziphus jujuba fruit;
of the 294 formulations in the Approval Standards for OTC Kampo Products from the Ministry of Health,
Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan, 89 (30,27 % of the total) include ingredients of Ziziphus jujuba fruit.
In the United States, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is widely sold as a dietary supplement ingredient. In addition, in
China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is often processed into candied jujube, black
jujube, jujube cookies, jujube paste, jujube jam, jujube juices, jujube tea, jujube w
...

ISO/DISFDIS 24063:2025(en)
ISO/TC 249/SC 1
Secretariat: SAC
Date: 2025-11-192026-02-06
Traditional Chinese medicine — — Ziziphus jujuba fruit
FDIS stage
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
EmailE-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO/FDIS 24063:20252026(en)
Contents
Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 2
5 Requirements and recommendations . 3
5.1 General characteristics . 3
5.2 Morphological features . 3
5.3 Microscopic characteristics. 3
5.4 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification . 4
5.5 Foreign matter . 4
5.6 Moisture . 5
5.7 Total ash . 5
5.8 Total polysaccharides . 5
5.9 Heavy metals . 5
5.10 Sulfur dioxide . 5
5.11 Pesticide residues . 5
5.12 Aflatoxins . 5
6 Sampling . 5
7 Test methods . 5
7.1 Macroscopic identification . 5
7.2 Microscopic examination . 5
7.3 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification . 5
7.4 Determination of foreign matters . 5
7.5 Determination of moisture content . 5
7.6 Determination of total ash content . 6
7.7 Determination of total polysaccharides content . 6
7.8 Determination of heavy metals content . 6
7.9 Determination of sulfur dioxide content . 6
7.10 Determination of pesticide residues content . 6
7.11 Determination of aflatoxins content . 6
8 Test report . 6
9 Packaging, storage and transportation . 6
10 Marking and labelling . 7
Annex A (informative) Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification . 8
Annex B (informative) Determination of total polysaccharides content . 10
Annex C (informative) Reference information of national and regional requirements . 11
Bibliography . 13

iii
ISO/FDIS 24063:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
ISO documentdocuments should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules
of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights
in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s)
which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not
represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO'sISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 249, Traditional medicine, Subcommittee SC 1,
Traditional Chinese medicine.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user'suser’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
ISO/FDIS 24063:20252026(en)
Introduction
Ziziphus jujuba fruit (the Chinese Pinyin name is Da Zao) is also called Jujubae Fructus, Jujube, Chinese date,
or Red date, which. It is the dried ripe fruit of Ziziphus jujuba Mill., Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder,
or Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. hoonensis T. B. Lee (Fam. Rhamnaceae).
Ziziphus jujuba fruit has been commonly consumed as health food supplement and traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) for thousands of years due to its high nutritional and medicinal values. In Huangdi Neijing
[ [1] ]
(475–221 BC), 1) , a classic medical text from ancient China, Ziziphus jujuba fruit was recorded as one ofan
[ [2] ]
extremely valuable fruitsfruit. According to Shennong Bencao Jing written between 300 BC and 200 AD, 2 ,
one of the earliest books specializing in Chinese medicine, Ziziphus jujuba fruit was regarded as one of the top-
grade medicinal herbs that can extend one’s life expectancy by nourishing blood, increasing sleep quality and
improving the digestive system. Along withA growing number of studies on Ziziphus jujuba fruit,are proposing
various beneficial nutrients withinof Ziziphus jujuba fruit are being proposed, including flavonoid,
polysaccharide, triterpenic acid, nucleoside, saponin, alkaloid, carbohydrate, dietary fiberfibre, mineral,
vitamin, amino acid, fatty acid, and protein. Thus, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is considered worldwide as a popular
nutritious food, worldwide.
As a special medicinal and edible material, Ziziphus jujuba fruit has attracted significant international attention
and demand. Based on the PubMed database, over the last decade, 25 countries and regions have carried out
relevant research on Ziziphus jujuba fruit. Based on the statistics of the General Administration of Customs of
the People’s Republic of China, the import and export trade volume of Ziziphus jujuba fruit was 9 895 t,
11 175 t, 13 372 t, 17 179 t and 21 690 t in China from 2017 to 2021, respectively, worth a total of 1,5 billion
CNY. There are aboutapproximately 90 trading countries and regions of Ziziphus jujuba fruit in the world, and
the number is still increasing. In particular, the average annual import trade volume of Malaysia, Hong Kong
(China),, Taiwan (Province of China), Viet Nam, Singapore, the United States of America, Japan, the Republic
of Korea, Thailand, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, Indonesia and Iran reached 100 tons per year.
Today, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is widely cultivated in more than 40 countries and regions, especially in China, the
Republic of Korea, and Japan. However, the quality of Ziziphus jujuba fruit provided from different areas or by
different cultivators is quite different. Although Ziziphus jujuba fruit has been recorded in the Chinese
Pharmacopoeia, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia and the Korean Pharmacopoeia, these standards are not
harmonized and can be unsuitable for the purpose of international trade of Ziziphus jujuba fruit. Thus, there
is a clear and urgent need to develop an International Standard for harmonizing the existing standards, as well
as ensuring the safety and quality of Ziziphus jujuba fruit.
Ziziphus jujuba fruit has rich nutritional and medicinal values. For example, amongof the 1 607 formulations
in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), there are 55 formulations with ingredient (3,42 % of the total)
include ingredients of Ziziphus jujuba fruit (accounting for 3,42 %); among; of the 294 formulations in the
Approval Standards for OTC Kampo Products from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) of
Japan, there are 89 formulations with ingredient(30,27 % of the total) include ingredients of Ziziphus jujuba
fruit (accounting for 30,27 %). In the United States, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is widely sold as a dietary supplement
ingredient. In addition, in China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, Ziziphus jujuba fruit is often processed into
candied jujube, black jujube, jujube cookies, jujube paste, jujube jam, jujube juices, jujube tea, jujube wine,
jujube vinegar, and other foodfoods and beverages.
As national implementation can differ, national standards bodies are invited to modify the values given in
5.75.7 in their national standards. Examples of national and regional values are given in Annex CAnnex C.
v
DRAFT International Standard ISO/DIS 24063:2025(en)

Traditional Chinese medicine — — Ziziphus jujuba fruit
1 Scope
This document specifies the minimum requirements and test methods for Ziziphus jujuba fruit.
This document is applicable to Ziziphus jujuba fruit that is sold and used as herbal raw materials in the
international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and decoction pieces
derived from these plants.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18664, Traditional Chinese medicine Medicine — Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in
Traditional Chinese Medicine
ISO/TS 21310, Traditional Chinese medicine — Microscopic examination onof medicinal herbs
ISO 21371, Traditional Chinese medicine — Labelling requirements of products intended for oral or topical use
ISO 22217, Traditional Chinese medicine —Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces
ISO 22258, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of pesticide residues in natural products by gas
chromatography
ISO 22283, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of aflatoxins in natural products by LC-FLD
ISO 22590, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of sulfur dioxide in
...