Sourcing egg albumen powder from China

Duty depends on food suitability and physical form

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3502 includes dried egg albumin. Food-grade powder falls within the dried category other than crystals; dried albumin unfit, or to be rendered unfit, for human consumption has a separate line. The table includes crystals and non-dried edible albumin for classification comparison. See the wider albumins guide.

The supplied China lines show £103 per 100 kg for dried edible egg albumin, including powder and crystals, and 0% for the dried unfit category. Non-dried edible egg albumin carries £13 per 100 kg. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is listed on these lines. Veterinary control applies, with a common health entry document for animal products. For non-food powder, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable documents and import route.

Confirm the commodity code using composition, physical form and suitability for human consumption. A laboratory or industrial use description alone does not establish that powder meets the unfit category. Keep the food-grade powder's weight-based duty separate from any percentage calculation; the illustrative order uses the unfit category, conditional on confirmation of classification and import requirements.

Specify egg-white composition and functional performance

Specify egg source, ingredients, food or non-food suitability, protein assay method and reporting basis, moisture, solubility and packing. Record whether the powder is desugared and whether additives are present. For bakery use, agree whipping performance and foam stability using your recipe; for binding applications, agree gel strength. Request a batch certificate of analysis and retain an approved sample.

Before ordering food-grade powder from China for Great Britain, ask your broker to confirm eligibility for the exact product and factory. Food egg albumin must come from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Check that the premises of origin appear on the correct approved list. Use factory verification to establish who manufactures the powder.

For direct food animal-product consignments from China, arrange advance notification through the import notification system. Confirm the relevant health certificate and authorised border control post requirements with your customs broker. Notify at least one working day before the expected arrival at the point of entry. Ask the broker to confirm all China-specific health documentation before dispatch.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative only: 100 kg of egg albumen powder unfit for human consumption, for a laboratory business, subject to confirmation of the import route under 3502 11 10 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,000, so it is £800. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the egg source, ingredients, grade and batch number across the specification, analysis certificate and bags. Keep food and non-food batches clearly identified.

Performance: check protein and moisture using the agreed methods, review batch microbiology results and compare dissolution, whipping or gel formation with the approved sample.

Packing: inspect seals, liners, moisture damage, caking, unusual odour and contamination. Compare storage records with the agreed conditions and plan sampling with the inspection guide.

Food labels: for permitted prepacked foods sold to consumers, check the ingredients list and emphasised egg allergen information. Keep the egg source clear in specifications supplied to business customers.

What goes wrong

A supplier's food-grade certificate does not establish import eligibility. Check the product, factory and documentary route before paying for production or freight. Goods that fail border checks will not be allowed into Great Britain and may be destroyed. Do not treat the unfit category as a cheaper classification for edible powder.

Powder can meet a protein specification yet whip poorly, dissolve slowly or arrive caked. Different assay methods and moisture bases also make certificates difficult to compare. Agree functional acceptance using your production process, then compare the arriving batch with the retained sample.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.