E1100 — Alpha-amylase
Why it’s used
A starch-digesting enzyme that cleaves internal 1,4-alpha-glycosidic bonds in starch to produce dextrins and fermentable sugars. Used as a processing aid in baking to soften crumb and extend shelf life, in brewing and distilling to convert starch to fermentable sugars, and in glucose/corn syrup production.
Other names
Alpha-amylase, 1,4-alpha-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, Diastase, Glycogenase
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Specific alpha-amylase preparations are affirmed GRAS by strain (e.g., 21 CFR 184.1012 for Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase), with additional strains cleared through the voluntary GRAS notification program (e.g., GRN 000617). Source (2026-07-24)
Regulated as a food enzyme under Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008, not as a food additive; lawfully marketed under transitional national provisions since the EU's Union list of authorized food enzymes has not yet been finalized. Source (2026-07-24)
Regulatory status by region
FDA affirms individual alpha-amylase preparations as GRAS strain-by-strain under 21 CFR Part 184 or via GRAS notices, so "allowed" status depends on the specific source organism used. The EU instead regulates all food enzymes, including alpha-amylase, under the separate Food Enzymes Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 rather than the food additive Regulation 1333/2008 — and the EU has not yet adopted its Union list of authorized food enzymes, so enzymes already on national markets (or covered by a valid application submitted by the 2011 deadline) continue to be used under transitional national provisions rather than a single EU-wide clearance. Source: eCFR 21 CFR 184.1012 and European Commission food enzymes rules page, verified 2026-07-24.
The EU's still-pending Union list of authorized food enzymes means alpha-amylase is currently lawful only through transitional national provisions rather than a single EU-wide clearance under Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 — a structurally different framework from the FDA's per-strain GRAS affirmations, so "allowed" reflects current lawful use rather than a harmonized approval in either region.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E1100.