E1105 — Lysozyme
Why it’s used
An antimicrobial enzyme extracted from hen egg white that breaks down peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls. Used almost exclusively in hard and semi-hard ripened cheeses (e.g., Grana Padano, Emmental) to prevent "late blowing" caused by Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores, and occasionally as a natural preservative in wine and processed meats.
Other names
Muramidase, Egg white lysozyme, Peptidoglycan N-acetylmuramoylhydrolase, 1,4-beta-N-acetylmuramidase
Diet flags
Allergen info
Allergen associations for this specific additive, sourced and dated:
Lysozyme used as a food preservative or processing aid is commonly extracted from hen egg white; EFSA's safety evaluation of a commercial hen-egg lysozyme food enzyme confirms hen-egg extraction as that product's source material. Source (2026-07-25)
Regulatory status
Egg white lysozyme is affirmed GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1550 for use in cheese to inhibit Clostridium tyrobutyricum, with a labeling requirement that the ingredient statement identify it by name as "egg white lysozyme." Source (2026-07-24)
Authorized EU-wide as food additive E1105 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, but its use is limited to ripened cheese (to prevent late blowing) rather than general food use, and egg-derived allergen labeling is mandatory. Source (2026-07-24)
Regulatory status by region
FDA's GRAS affirmation of egg white lysozyme (21 CFR 184.1550) is written around a functional purpose — inhibiting Clostridium tyrobutyricum, the bacterium responsible for 'late blowing' spoilage — rather than being bounded to a named cheese category; because late blowing is specifically a defect of aged, ripened cheeses, the practical scope of use lines up closely with the EU's, even though the US regulation doesn't spell out a 'ripened cheese' category limit the way EU law does. Source: eCFR 21 CFR 184.1550, verified 2026-07-24.
The EU's Annex II positive list authorizes additives category by category, and lysozyme's E1105 entry is textually confined to the 'ripened cheese' food category to prevent late blowing — the same C. tyrobutyricum problem FDA's GRAS listing targets — so the underlying technological justification is essentially the same on both sides of the Atlantic. The 'restricted' framing on the EU side reflects its requirement that every use be tied to an explicit, reviewed food category rather than a broader functional statement, not a distinct EFSA safety finding that FDA lacks. Source: EUR-Lex consolidated Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II, verified 2026-07-24.
Safety review
- GRN 64 — FDA has no questions
A GRAS notice status is FDA’s response to a company’s own self-determination that an ingredient is safe — not an independent FDA safety review.
Matched to FDA’s record for “Egg white lysozyme”. GRAS Notice Inventory (checked 2026-08-01)
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E1105.