Food additive databaseenzymeChecked 2026-10-02

Exomaltotetraohydrolase エキソマルトテトラオヒドロラーゼ

Existing food additiveEU: covered by the food enzymes rules

Purpose: enzyme
On the label: “酵素” (enzyme), “エキソマルトテトラオヒドロラーゼ” (exomaltotetraohydrolase), “G4生成酵素” (G4-forming enzyme), “アミラーゼ” (amylase), “カルボヒドラーゼ” (carbohydrase)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives: エキソマルトテトラオヒドロラーゼ (No. 37)
Source and production: An enzyme obtained from cultures of actinomycetes (Streptomyces thermoviolaceus and Streptomyces violaceoruber) or a bacterium (Pseudomonas stutzeri), which hydrolyzes starch from the non-reducing end in maltotetraose units (as defined in the compositional specifications).

In Japan

An enzyme that acts on starch and cuts it from the non-reducing end in units of maltotetraose (a sugar made of four glucose units). Another name is “G4生成酵素” (G4-forming enzyme). The category names “アミラーゼ” (amylase) and “カルボヒドラーゼ” (carbohydrase) are shared with other enzymes, so these names alone do not tell you which enzyme it is.
It falls within the scope of the group name, so it can be written simply as “酵素” (enzyme). An enzyme that is inactivated during manufacturing and leaves no effect in the final food may count as a processing aid and be exempt from labeling, in which case it does not appear on the label.

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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