Sourcing inactive torula yeast from China

Inactive torula yeast: 0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2102 covers active and inactive yeasts, other dead single-cell micro-organisms and prepared baking powders. The inactive yeast lines relevant to torula yeast all carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff records list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions for these lines.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches an import control of organic products to these lines. Organic food consignments from China need an inspection certificate for each consignment. An approved UK organic control body must certify the food and business. Agree the organic import paperwork with your customs broker and control body before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code from the product's inactive status, intended food or feed use, form and immediate pack size. Yeast extracts and spreads fall under heading 2106 rather than the inactive yeast lines. For the wider inactive yeast category, see nutritional yeast flakes.

Specify torula identity and inactivation

Ask for the organism and strain identity, growth substrate, inactivation method and complete ingredient declaration. Specify whether you want whole inactive yeast or an extract, and whether the intended use is food or feed. Agree powder or granule form, particle size, moisture, protein, colour, odour and flavour against an approved sample.

For food ingredients, agree batch testing for microbiology and contaminants with a laboratory using the intended application and production process. Unsafe food must not be placed on the market. For retail packs sold in Great Britain, confirm the required name, ingredients, net quantity, date marking and food-business address details with the relevant food authority. Confirm the applicable feed requirements with the relevant authority for feed products.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of inactive torula yeast powder in bulk bags under 2102 20 19 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,500, so it is £5,100. 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. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the batch certificate, ingredient declaration and inactivation records to the ordered torula yeast and intended use.

Powder quality: compare colour, odour, flavour, particle size and dispersibility with the approved sample; check moisture and protein against the agreed specification.

Batch results: verify that laboratory reports identify the delivered batch and cover the agreed microbiological and contaminant checks.

Packing and labels: check liners and seals for damage, moisture ingress and caking; match net weights, batch marks, dates and approved labels to the delivery.

What goes wrong

A supplier offers yeast extract against a whole inactive yeast specification, changes the growth substrate without agreement, or supplies a batch with a different flavour or particle size. Moisture entering damaged liners can leave powder caked on arrival. Agree acceptance criteria and keep a retained sample from the production batch.

A generic analysis certificate can hide a mismatch between the tested sample and delivered goods. Organic paperwork can also be missing despite an organic description on the invoice. Check documents before dispatch and arrange quality inspection against the purchase specification.

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.