E1101 - Protease

At a glance

A quick overview of what protease does in foods.

• What it is: A protein-cutting enzyme (also called peptidase or proteinase)
• Main jobs: Dough conditioning, meat tenderizing, clarifying beverages, and making protein hydrolysates
• Where it comes from: Usually food-grade microbes (like Bacillus or Aspergillus); also plant sources such as papaya (papain) and pineapple (bromelain)
• Diet notes: Can be vegetarian when sourced from microbes or plants; check label if a specific animal source is mentioned
• Processing: Enzymes are typically deactivated by heat during cooking or pasteurization
• Labeling: May appear as “protease,” “enzymes (protease),” or a named source such as “papain”

Why is protease added to food?

Protease breaks long protein chains into shorter ones. In doughs, this can relax gluten for easier shaping and consistent texture. In beverages, it helps reduce protein haze that can make drinks look cloudy. Regulators classify food enzymes as ingredients used for a technological function—such as processing or stabilizing—when there’s a clear need and safe use has been shown.¹

What foods contain protease?

You’ll most often find protease at work in:

• Bakery items (bread, crackers, biscuits) for dough handling and texture
• Meat and poultry products, where plant proteases like papain are used as tenderizers²
• Fermented foods and beverages (such as certain beers and sauces) to control haze or to break down proteins during processing³

In many of these products, protease functions as a processing aid, and the enzyme is largely inactivated by heat before the food reaches you.⁴

What can replace protease?

Depending on the job you need done, other options may work:

• For dough conditioning: longer fermentation or preferments; chemical reducing agents like L-cysteine; oxidizing agents such as ascorbic acid; or other enzymes like alpha-amylase
• For dough strength and tolerance: emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and lecithins
• For sweetness release in confections: enzymes like invertase
• For flavor development or fat modification in specialty foods: enzymes like lipase (not a proteinase but used for different transformations)

No single substitute covers all protease roles, so bakers and processors often combine time, temperature, and other ingredients to get similar results.

How is protease made?

Most food proteases are produced by controlled fermentation using safe, well-characterized microbes (for example, Bacillus or Aspergillus). After fermentation, the enzyme is filtered, purified, and standardized so it performs consistently in food. Manufacturers also verify purity (like low residual DNA or host proteins) and absence of harmful contaminants. Enzymes are typically added at the lowest level needed and are inactivated by later heat steps.⁴

Is protease safe to eat?

Food enzymes are regulated for safety and must serve a clear technological need without misleading consumers.¹ In the European Union, food enzymes undergo risk assessment by EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority), which considers production strain, manufacturing, purity, and potential allergenicity.⁴ In the United States, some proteases—such as papain—are affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) when used in line with good manufacturing practice.² Many other protease preparations have received “no questions” GRAS letters for specific uses and sources.³

Does protease have any benefits?

In food processing, protease can:

• Improve dough handling and uniformity
• Reduce haze and improve clarity in some beverages
• Help create protein hydrolysates for flavor, texture, or digestibility
• Support more consistent processing, which can reduce waste and rework

These are technological benefits; protease is not added as a nutrient.

Who should avoid protease?

• People with occupational enzyme allergies (for example, workers exposed to airborne enzyme dust in bakeries) should follow workplace controls and avoid inhaling enzyme powders.⁵
• If you have a known allergy to a specific source (such as papaya latex for papain), check labels and ask manufacturers about enzyme sources used. Residual enzyme in final foods is usually very low and often heat-inactivated, but source-based allergies are a consideration.⁴

Myths & facts

• Myth: Protease is only a meat tenderizer. Fact: It’s also used to condition dough, clarify beverages, and make protein hydrolysates.
• Myth: Enzymes remain active in your body after you eat them. Fact: Cooking inactivates most food enzymes, and your digestive system breaks them down like other proteins.
• Myth: All enzymes come from animals. Fact: Many food enzymes, including proteases, are made by food-grade microbes or sourced from plants.

Protease in branded foods

On packages, you may see “enzymes,” “protease,” or a named source (for example, “papain”). In baked goods and snacks, it is often part of the dough conditioner blend; in meat products it may be in a marinade or tenderizer; and in beverages it can be used during processing and may not appear on the final label if treated as a processing aid. If you need to avoid a particular source, contact the brand for details on the enzyme origin and how it is used.

References

Footnotes

1. Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 on food enzymes — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1332/oj ↩ ↩²

2. Papain (affirmed as GRAS) — U.S. FDA, 21 CFR §184.1585. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-184/section-184.1585 ↩ ↩²

3. GRAS Notice Inventory (enzyme preparations, various proteases) — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/generally-recognized-safe-gras/gras-notice-inventory ↩ ↩²

4. Food enzymes: EFSA’s role and approach — European Food Safety Authority. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/food-enzymes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Bakery Work and Asthma Risk (exposure to flour dust and enzymes) — CDC/NIOSH. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bakery/ ↩