beta-Glucanase from Aspergillus niger, var.
beta-Glucanase from Aspergillus niger, var. · Endo-1,3-beta-glucanasebeta-Glucanase breaks down the beta-glucans of cereal cell walls, which otherwise make worts and juices viscous and hard to filter. JECFA records its use in fruit juices, beer and cheesemaking.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | No listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here. | ||
| European Union | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Great Britain | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
What it is made from
Produced by fermenting Aspergillus niger and dispersing the enzyme in food-grade carriers and diluents; preparations may contain stabilisers and preservatives.
How JECFA defines it
The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.
beta-Glucanase from Aspergillus niger, var.
Synonyms: Endo-1,3-ß-glucanase Endo-1,3-beta-glucanase
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- ß-GLUCANASE from ASPERGILLUS NIGER , var. Prepared at the 41st JECFA (1993), published in FNP 52 Add 2 (1993) superseding specifications prepared at the 31st JECFA (1987), published in FNP 38 (1988) and in FNP 5 (1992). An ADI 'not specified' was established at the 35th JECFA (1989)
- SOURCES
- Produced by the controlled fermentation of Aspergillus niger , var. and isolated from the medium.
- Active principles
- Endo-1,3(4)-ß-glucanase
- Systematic names and numbers
- 1,3-(1,3; 1,4)-ß-D-Glucan-3(4)- glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.6)
- Reactions catalyzed
- ß-glucanase hydrolyzes 1,3-ß- and 1,4-ß -glucosidic linkages in ß-D-glucans yielding oligosaccharides and glucose
- Secondary enzyme activities
- Hemicellulase Pectinase (EC 3.2.1.15)
- DESCRIPTION
- Off-white to tan amorphous powders or tan to dark-brown liquids dispersed in food-grade carriers and diluents, and may contain stabilizers and preservatives; soluble in water and practically insoluble in ethanol, chloroform and ether
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Enzyme preparation Used in the preparation of fruit juices and beer; manufacture of cheese
- GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Must conform to the General Specifications for Enzyme Preparations used in Food Processing (see Volume Introduction)
Identification
- ß-Glucanase activity (Vol.4)
- The sample shows ß-glucanase activity
Every name it appears under
2 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
Other names
- beta-Glucanase from Aspergillus niger, var.
- Endo-1,3-beta-glucanase
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Sources for this page
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable: a JSON record of this additive is given on request —how to ask for access.
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