With a commitment to artisanal craftsmanship and empowered by scientific innovation, Ruifoo Oils is enabling tiny sesame seeds to “aromatically” transform an entire industry.

At the start of the new year, good news came from Ruifu Oils & Fats Co., Ltd.—China’s leading enterprise in sesame fragrant oil: orders for export to the United States are being released in a concentrated wave, and workers are diligently and systematically stepping up production. Cui-character small-mill fragrant oil is now writing a new chapter in “Weifang products going global.”

Six hundred years of innovative inheritance, twenty generations of artisanal craftsmanship shaping the soul. As the 20th-generation inheritor of Cui Zi Brand’s small-mill sesame oil and Chairman of Ruifu Oil & Fat Co., Cui Ruifu has spent his entire life upholding his commitment, truly embodying the essence of “craftsman spirit.” With the sincere belief that “for a lifetime, one should eat only one bowl of rice; for a century, one should dedicate oneself to just one thing,” he has transformed tiny sesame seeds into a thriving industry, writing a touching chapter of harmonious coexistence between traditional crafts and modern development.

Upholding integrity while fostering innovation—time-honored brands rejuvenate and regain vitality.

In 1988, Cui Ruifu took over the baton from his father, only to find himself confronted with outdated equipment and a business struggling to stay afloat. Yet this young inheritor was neither intimidated by these difficulties nor content to stick rigidly to old ways. He deeply understood that inheritance is not about mindlessly “reproducing” the past, but rather about “revitalizing” it in step with the times. Only through innovation can time-honored brands break free from their predicament and regain their vitality.

In 1998, amid the tide of reform and opening-up, Cui Ruifu braved pressure from all quarters and, against widespread opposition, pushed ahead with enterprise restructuring. He broke through the rigid management system and established a modern enterprise framework characterized by clear property rights and well-defined responsibilities. This pivotal move injected a “boost” into the enterprise, igniting its intrinsic vitality. While safeguarding the core production technology of stone-mill water-drawing processes, he led his team to boldly embrace innovation, introducing advanced testing equipment and management concepts from both home and abroad. They independently developed an automated production line for small-mill sesame oil, and built a state-of-the-art, fully integrated testing center covering everything from raw-material inspection and process monitoring to finished-product release. In this way, traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology have achieved a “deep, two-way integration that mutually empowers each other.”

Through repeated experiments that started all over again and painstaking efforts to perfect every detail, Cui Ruifu, with his unwavering dedication and steadfast commitment, has enabled the company to make a transformative leap—from a “handcraft workshop” to a “modern enterprise.”

Today, Ruifu Oils & Fats has grown into a leading enterprise in the sesame industry, integrating R&D, production, processing, and sales. It has successively been awarded numerous honors, including “National Contract-Honoring and Credit-Respecting Enterprise,” “National Demonstration Processing Enterprise for Safe Grain and Oil Products,” “Enterprise Providing Food Safety Assurance for the Qingdao Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” “‘Specialized, Fine, and New’ Small and Medium-sized Enterprise in Shandong Province,” and “Green Factory in Shandong Province.”

Integrity builds enterprises, forging industry benchmarks.

For over three decades, Ruifu Oils & Fats has been deeply rooted in the industry, consistently upholding the business philosophy that "quality ensures market presence, and integrity paves the way for the future." With "zero defects" as its quality management goal, the company rigorously selects high-quality sesame ingredients from premier global growing regions at the source. Every batch of raw materials undergoes multi-dimensional testing to ensure that only合格 products are accepted into the warehouse. During production, the company strives for perfection and integrates standardized management practices throughout the entire process. It maintains tight control over the entire supply chain—from warehousing and logistics to final sales—and has established a comprehensive after-sales service system. By relentlessly pursuing uncompromising quality, the company has earned widespread market recognition and consumer trust, helping its brand secure numerous prestigious awards, including "Time-Honored Chinese Brand," "China’s Fine Grain & Oil Products," and "Good Products from Shandong." Moreover, the company has obtained numerous authoritative international and domestic certifications, such as BRCGS and FDA, and its products are exported to more than 50 countries and regions, firmly establishing it as the leading brand in the small-mill sesame oil industry.

Adhering to the development philosophy of "establishing enterprises through standards and boosting enterprises through scientific and technological innovation," Ruifu Oils places great emphasis on the development of industry standards. It has spearheaded or participated in the formulation and revision of 17 national and industry standards, including those for "Sesame" and "Sesame Oil," filling multiple gaps in the industry and promoting the standardization and regularization of the sector.

Ruifoo Oils & Fats specializes in the research and development of sesame oil extraction technologies, overcoming numerous technical challenges. The three research projects it has spearheaded have reached internationally leading levels; one of these projects even won the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Achievements in China’s Grain and Oil Industry. The company holds 15 core patents and has also led the publication of three specialized industry books. Meanwhile, it has established a platform for industry-academia-research collaboration, engaging in deep partnerships with renowned universities and research institutes such as Northwest A&F University, Jiangnan University, and Henan University of Technology. As a result, several innovative platforms have been set up, leveraging technology to empower intangible cultural heritage skills and positioning the company as an industry benchmark and technological leader.

In Ruifu Oils’ CNAS-certified laboratory, the testing team is deciphering the molecular code behind aroma. They’ve discovered that the “pyrazine compounds” unique to small-mill sesame oil originate from the Maillard reaction during roasting and frying. Meanwhile, cold grinding using stone mills helps preserve more terpene-based aromatic compounds. Based on these findings, Ruifu has developed a “Flavor-Freshness Lock Technology,” extending the shelf life of sesame oil from 12 months to 18 months. Additionally, Ruifu has launched functional foods such as sesamin capsules and sesame peptides, significantly boosting the added value of sesame processing.

Breaking the circle and appealing to younger audiences, sparking new momentum in consumption.

“We’ve established industry-academia-research cooperation bases with nearly a hundred institutions, including Shandong University, Ocean University of China, and major colleges and universities in Weifang,” Wang XiuHua, Deputy General Manager of Ruifu Oils & Fats, told a reporter from the Grain & Oil Market News on January 16. “We’re committed to deeply integrating culture with production, revitalizing the intrinsic growth momentum of time-honored brands, and driving the development of the industry.”

Wang XiuHua introduced that, while consolidating traditional supermarket and retail channels, the company is also expanding its “Internet Plus” model to build a marketing system that seamlessly integrates online and offline channels. Products have been listed on e-commerce platforms such as JD.com, Alibaba, and Tmall, and an official flagship store under the “Cui Zi Pai” brand has been established. Through the “Qian Dai Wan Dian” model, the company is building an online sales network across the entire internet and all regions. Additionally, official accounts for the “Cui Zi Pai” brand have been launched on new media platforms like Douyin and Video Channels, and a “1+N (influencer)” approach is being adopted to rapidly boost sales.

It’s worth noting that Ruifu Oils is breaking into new audiences by appealing to younger consumers and precisely meeting their trendy demands. The brand has diversified its online promotion efforts, establishing a series of self-media accounts—including “Cui Zi Pai” sesame oil, “Cui Food Stories,” “Shan Xia Jia Ren,” and “Cui Zi No. 1 Kitchen”—to share brand culture, brand stories, product usage scenarios, and product knowledge with young consumers.

We’ve made offline experiences more engaging and fun by independently developing a black sesame paste ice cream product, allowing consumers to directly savor the rich aroma and nutritional benefits of sesame paste. We’re also introducing traditional delicacies like fragrant oil fritters and egg dishes seasoned with fragrant oil, bringing back to younger generations the authentic flavors and time-honored eating methods of these classic treats. Moreover, we’ve imbued our products—such as “Chi Shi Molecular” black sesame balls, “sesame paste yogurt,” and “ready-to-use sesame paste”—with social attributes, adding elements of curiosity to their packaging to resonate with the young generation’s spirit of exploration.

“One way to rejuvenate a brand is to engage in self-enhancement, making ‘becoming more beautiful’ and ‘becoming younger’ happen simultaneously,” Cui Ruifu told reporters. He added that rejuvenating a brand’s image means rejuvenating its cultural heritage—“embracing” young people and deeply connecting with the trendy demands of young consumers is the key breakthrough for time-honored brands.

“Six hundred years of heritage form our foundation; thirty years of innovation fuel our drive.” Standing at a new historical starting point, Cui Ruifu confidently outlines a blueprint for the company’s future development: In the days ahead, we will benchmark against world-class standards, strengthen our foundational work, and ensure that our products are impeccable, our technology unchallenged, and our business model impossible to replicate. We aim to build Ruifu Oils into an internationally first-class food enterprise, enabling this time-honored Chinese brand to spread its fragrance across the globe and allowing intangible cultural heritage skills to shine even more brilliantly in the new era. (Originally published in the January 17, 2026 issue of Grain & Oil Market Report—China Oils Weekly)