E1102 - Glucose oxidase | food additive

Synonyms: E1102Glucose oxidase

Search interest:#288910 / moin U.S.🇺🇸data from

Function:

flour treatment agent

Origin:

Microbiological

Products: Found in 30 products

Awareness:

×3.80

Glucose oxidase (E1102) is an enzyme used in foods to manage oxygen and improve dough performance. It helps keep flavors and colors stable and is most common in bread and other baked goods. In the European Union (EU), it is an approved food additive with defined purity criteria.

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At a glance

What it is: A food-grade enzyme that reacts with glucose and oxygen.
Main role: Antioxidant/oxygen scavenger and flour treatment agent in baking.
Where it’s found: Bread, buns, crackers, and baking mixes.
Labeling: May appear as “glucose oxidase” or “E1102” on EU labels.
Regulation: Has EU specifications and is listed as a permitted food additive.

Why is Glucose oxidase added to food?

Food makers add glucose oxidase to reduce oxygen and help prevent unwanted changes in flavor, color, and nutrients. The enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid, producing a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the process, which helps remove dissolved oxygen from doughs and batters.¹ In baking, this oxygen-scavenging effect and mild oxidative action can strengthen gluten networks and improve dough handling. In the EU, it is authorized as a food additive under the general rules for food additives, which require a technological need and safe use.²¹

What foods contain Glucose oxidase?

You will most often find glucose oxidase in:

Bread and rolls
Crackers and crispbreads
Baking and flour mixes
Some wafer and biscuit products

Usage levels are low and depend on the recipe and processing conditions. Manufacturers may also use it as a processing aid in similar categories, even when it is not listed on the final label (this varies by jurisdiction).

What can replace Glucose oxidase?

What you choose depends on the job you need done:

For dough strengthening and conditioning: ascorbic acid is a common oxidizing flour treatment agent used in breadmaking.
For similar oxidative dough effects: calcium peroxide is used in some baking applications.
For general dough performance (not an oxidant): alpha-amylase improves fermentation and crumb texture by acting on starch, but it does not remove oxygen like glucose oxidase.

How is Glucose oxidase made?

Commercial glucose oxidase is produced by controlled fermentation, typically using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. After fermentation, the enzyme is separated from the culture, purified, and standardized to a defined activity and purity that meet EU specifications for E1102.¹ The final preparation is designed for food use and compliance with good manufacturing practice (GMP).

Is Glucose oxidase safe to eat?

Within the EU, additives must meet strict safety criteria before approval, including a demonstrated technological need, consumer safety at proposed uses, and no misleading of consumers.² Glucose oxidase (E1102) has defined identity and purity specifications in EU law, and manufacturers must comply with these limits when placing it on the market.¹ EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, explains the process for assessing and re-evaluating additives to keep safety reviews current.³

Does Glucose oxidase have any benefits?

Quality: Helps maintain flavor and color by lowering oxygen, which can slow oxidation in doughs.
Processing: Can strengthen dough to make it easier to handle and shape.
Consistency: Supports more uniform results in large-scale baking.

These benefits are functional and technological; glucose oxidase itself does not add taste.

Who should avoid Glucose oxidase?

People with a diagnosed allergy to specific food enzymes should follow their healthcare provider’s advice.
Workers handling enzyme powders (for example, in industrial bakeries) should minimize dust exposure and use proper controls because occupational exposure to enzymes can cause respiratory sensitization in some individuals.³

For the general population consuming finished foods, typical uses of E1102 are at very low levels and comply with regulations.

Myths & facts

Myth: Glucose oxidase is a sugar and makes foods sweeter.
- Fact: It is an enzyme, not a sweetener. It acts on glucose during processing.
Myth: It stays active in finished foods.
- Fact: Normal baking temperatures denature (inactivate) most enzymes, including glucose oxidase.
Myth: It is only a preservative.
- Fact: Its main role in baking is as a flour treatment agent and oxygen scavenger that supports dough structure.

Glucose oxidase in branded foods

Labeling varies by country. In the EU, you may see “glucose oxidase” or “E1102” on the ingredient list when it is used as an additive. If it is used solely as a processing aid, it may not appear on the label depending on local rules. To check a specific product, read the ingredients panel on the package or contact the manufacturer.

References

Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 — European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩ ↩²
Food additives: an overview — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/food-additives ↩ ↩²

E1102 - Glucose oxidase