Sourcing food-grade alpha-amylase from China

Zero duty, with a veterinary control flag

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 November 2026, heading 3507 covers enzymes and prepared enzymes not elsewhere specified or included. Food-grade alpha-amylase is a candidate for the residual line 3507 90 90 90, carrying 0% duty on goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. The table shows different product forms under this same candidate code.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches veterinary control to this line. Obtain the enzyme source, production strain and complete formulation, including carriers. For animal products requiring veterinary checks, checks must take place at an approved border control post. The importer should confirm with their customs broker whether the Chinese preparation requires these checks and which documents apply; the flag alone does not settle the treatment of a microbial preparation.

Confirm the commodity code using the formulation and intended use before shipping. Our enzymes guide covers the wider heading.

Specify alpha-amylase activity and food use

State the intended food process, enzyme source, production strain, powder or liquid form, and full carrier composition. Agree activity units, assay method, assay temperature and acidity, together with activity acceptance criteria on arrival. Ask for batch certificates using that method, agreed microbiological and heavy-metal limits, storage instructions and stability evidence.

Food enzymes fall under the food enzyme regulation described in the wider guide. Official guidance says the domestic food enzyme list is not yet established; existing use remains conditional on applicable food law. Uses falling under food additive or novel food legislation need approval if not already permitted. Confirm the particular strain, preparation and intended use with the Food Standards Agency before ordering.

Approve a sample in your actual food process. Specify the required starch breakdown and the point at which enzyme action should stop, then compare production batches against that approved performance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of liquid food-grade alpha-amylase under 3507 90 90 90, invoiced at £22,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,800, so it is £4,760. 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

Activity: test a representative arrival sample using the contracted assay and compare it with the batch certificate.

Identity: match the enzyme name, production strain, carrier composition and lot markings to the approved specification.

Condition: check seals, moisture damage, powder caking or liquid leakage, and any agreed transport temperature records.

Documents: match the batch certificate, food-use evidence and storage instructions to the delivered lot; resolve veterinary-control paperwork before release.

What goes wrong

Activity figures become incomparable when the factory and buyer use different assays. Heat exposure can reduce activity, while a changed carrier or strain can make the delivered preparation differ from the approved sample. A successful laboratory assay can also conceal unsuitable performance in the buyer's food process.

Agree both the assay and a process trial before ordering. Retain reference samples and review arrival results before using the lot. Avoid treating a generic food-grade certificate as evidence covering the actual preparation and intended use.

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.