A planting base for Cistanche deserticola. [Photo/Alshaa League Convergence Media Center]

Recently, Cistanche deserticola has been officially included in the list of food and medicine substances by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation, granting Alshaa Cistanche deserticola a dual identity as a food and medicinal ingredient. This means that it can now be legally used in producing, selling, and consuming food.

Established in 2010 in Alshaa Left Banner, Huahong Ecological Technology Co is a new high-tech ecological desert industry project introduced through investment attraction. It is dedicated to the high-quality research and industrial development of characteristic desert plants.

In May 2021, it became one of the first experimental enterprises for Cistanche deserticola (desert variety) as a link between food and medicine. The company has artificially cultivated Cistanche deserticola on over 8,000 mu (533 hectares). They have successfully developed seven Cistanche deserticola products.

Since 2013, the Alshaa League has undergone two rounds of selecting enterprises, resulting in the inclusion of 13 food and medicine link pilot production companies and 47 products. With the official recognition of Cistanche deserticola as a designated food and medicine substance, local market supervision and administration bureaus have received applications for production resumption from numerous producers specializing in the desert variety of Cistanche deserticola.

By actively organizing the resumption of production and conducting acceptance inspections, all Cistanche deserticola (desert variety) producers have met the production license requirements and have gradually resumed production.