Food additive databaseenzymeChecked 2026-10-02

Agarase アガラーゼ

Existing food additiveEU: covered by the food enzymes rules

Purpose: enzyme
On the label: “酵素” (enzyme; the group name used when the enzyme stays active and has an effect in the final food); not listed if it counts as a processing aid
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives: アガラーゼ (No. 2)
Source and production: An enzyme that hydrolyzes the β-1,4 or β-1,3 galactoside bonds of agar, obtained from a culture of a basidiomycete (genus Coriolus) or a bacterium (genus Bacillus, genus Pseudomonas) (as defined in the specifications).

In Japan

An enzyme that breaks down agar, obtained from cultures of basidiomycetes or bacteria (Japan's Specifications and Standards for Food Additives, 10th edition).
If it stays active and has an effect in the final food, it can be listed under the group name “酵素” (enzyme). If it is deactivated during manufacturing and does not remain in the food, it counts as a processing aid and labeling is exempt. There are no standards for use.

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

In the EU, food enzymes are covered by the food enzymes regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008), not by the list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II).

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as enzyme

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