How to Buy African Cashew Kernels for the UK

Start with Côte d’Ivoire for African shelled cashews going into Great Britain. UK customs data also show shipments from Nigeria, Benin and Ghana. Ask each supplier where the raw nuts were grown, where they were shelled and who packed the finished kernels. Compare samples from named packing lots at the grade you’ll actually use.

This guide covers food-grade kernels for England, Scotland and Wales. Check the separate rules for Northern Ireland if it’s your destination or part of the route. Our UK compliance overview covers the wider sourcing context.

Which origins should you ask to quote?

These are rounded HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics for 2025 under commodity code 08013200, shelled cashews, fresh or dried. They give you a shortlist and a sense of the established routes. Check the actual processor and the grade it can allocate to your contract. A trader can be a workable route if it names the site and can retrieve its lot and quality records.

Compare a direct import with a trial from a UK stockholder if your recipe or retail pack is still being approved. Ask for the same plant and lot information on both offers. For the direct quote, include freight, handling, any repacking and the cost of carrying stock. For either offer, compare the cost per kilo you can actually use after allowing for breakage, sorting or recipe changes. Agree what you’ll pay for a lower grade if you can use it and who authorises that decision.

How should you specify kernels for the finished product?

Decide what you’ll use them for. A visible whole-nut snack may need uniform size and colour. A chocolate maker using inclusions might pay less for pieces with a defined size range. A butter producer may care more about roast behaviour, flavour and defects. UNECE DDP-17 gives you a shared way to describe kernel class, style, size and tolerances. Put the criteria your own receiving team will use into the purchase order.

What checks belong in the GB import plan?

Ask your broker to confirm the product code, duty and VAT in the UK Trade Tariff. Plain shelled kernels, in-shell nuts and roasted or otherwise prepared products can have different codes. Check the food import restrictions for the actual origin and product. The GB list reviewed on 10 November 2026 did not show a cashew kernel entry for the origins above. The FSA’s nuts guidance distinguishes ordinary food imports from products subject to emergency controls. Confirm any plant health requirement separately if the product is fresh, in shell or intended for planting.

You still need a food safety plan suited to the product. Check the applicable GB aflatoxin limits for tree nuts under assimilated Regulation (EC) 1881/2006. The use category matters, including whether the goods are destined for direct consumption or a specified sorting or physical treatment. Agree a risk-based sampling and testing plan with your technical team, including microbiological checks where justified by the intended use. If you claim preferential duty, ask your broker to check the rule of origin and proof for the actual supply chain.

Can you verify the allergen and packing records?

Cashew is one of the tree nuts covered by food allergen rules. Get an allergen statement for the site that packed your lot and ask which other allergens it handles on shared lines. If the plant runs peanuts or other tree nuts, ask what it does to prevent carryover during changeovers. Share the verified information with whoever writes the ingredient and allergen declarations for your product.

Ask for a cross-reference from raw intake to shelling run, grade and finished packing code. When a contract specifies African-grown and locally processed kernels, document both claims. Ask who can approve any switch in plant or packing line. Your team should be able to trace back to the supplying business and forward to the business customers who received the lot. A test result can only support the packs its sampling record covers.

If the same supplier will serve EU customers, compare the food safety and labelling requirements for that destination before packing. Plain cashew kernels fall outside the EUDR commodity list. The EU cashew buyer guide covers the separate sourcing and food safety review for EU orders.