Alpha-amylase

No E-numberFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Fermented

Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Bakery amylase is grown from a fungus or a bacterium, or it comes from malted grain.

Gluten-freeDepends

Fungal and bacterial amylase are gluten-free. Amylase from malted barley is not.

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoYes

The enzyme is not a starch. The sugars it clips from the flour are the flour's.

Low-FODMAPYes

The short answer

Alpha-amylase is the enzyme that clips starch so bread can rise and brown. Baked goods often list it only as enzymes. Fungal amylase is gluten-free. Amylase from barley malt is not.

88/100

Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone

Comes fromFermented

What it doesFlour treatment agents

Glycemic index—

Daily limitNot set

Also calledAlpha-amylase, α-amylase

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved

🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive

🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive

CaliforniaNo extra rules

Several alpha-amylase preparations are GRAS in the US, including specific microbial ones and the amylase activity in malt (21 CFR 184.1443a). A bread label often says only enzymes. Europe authorizes food enzymes under its enzyme regulation rather than with an E-number, so alpha-amylase is not evaluated as an additive there. The enzyme does its work in the dough and is then destroyed by baking. Gluten-free status depends on the source: fungal and bacterial preparations are gluten-free, and malted barley is not.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

A few parts per million in flour feed the yeast and keep the crumb soft. Too much, and the loaf turns gummy. The baker's job is the dose.

Where it comes from: Alpha-amylase clips starch into shorter sugars. Baker's yeast then eats those sugars and the loaf rises and browns. The enzyme in a commercial dough is usually grown from a fungus such as Aspergillus or from a bacterium. Malted barley is a food source of the same activity: the FDA's GRAS listing for malt names alpha-amylase as one of its characterizing enzymes.

Why it’s in food

Feeds yeast during proofing
Improves browning
Softens a crumb
Thins a starch in brewing when it is the malt enzyme

Often found in

Sandwich breadRollsPizza doughBunsSome beersHigh-fiber loaves

Also listed as: Alpha-amylase, α-amylase, Fungal amylase, Bacterial amylase

Health & gut impact

Destroyed by the bakeBenefit

Alpha-amylase is a protein that the oven denatures. What remains in the finished loaf is not an active enzyme.

Baking temperatures and enzyme inactivation

The source is the gluten questionUnder study

A fungal amylase grown in a tank has no gluten. Malt, which the FDA describes as a barley enzyme preparation rich in alpha-amylase, does.

21 CFR 184.1443a

What can I use instead?

Barley malt syrup

Ratio: It brings gluten and sugar along with the enzyme

Best for: A traditional malted loaf

A longer ferment

Ratio: Time lets the flour's own enzymes work

Best for: A naturally leavened dough

More flour treatment agents:

Azodicarbonamide (ADA) E927aAzodicarbonamide (ADA, E927a) is a dough conditioner that's banned in the EU but still legal in US bread. Baking turns some of it into semicarbazide, a possible carcinogen, so it's one to avoid.Best to avoid Benzoyl peroxide E928Benzoyl peroxide (E928) bleaches flour white overnight. It's legal in the US and Canada but banned in the EU, and it destroys some of the vitamin E in flour. It's not on the label in most cases.Use in moderation Calcium sulfate E516Calcium sulfate (E516) is purified gypsum. It sets many Chinese-style tofus, feeds yeast and carries other ingredients. It is a mineral considered safe in food.Generally safe Enriched flourEnriched flour is white wheat flour with B vitamins and iron added back after milling. It contains gluten, it raises blood sugar, and it is a staple food rather than a controversial chemical.Use in moderation

Common questions

If the label says enzymes, is it alpha-amylase?

Often, in bread. Other enzymes, such as xylanase, can sit in the same word. The label is not required to name each one.

Is alpha-amylase gluten-free?

The fungal and bacterial preparations are. The enzyme from malted barley is not.

Is Alpha-amylase safe?

Generally safe (88/100). Several alpha-amylase preparations are GRAS in the US, including specific microbial ones and the amylase activity in malt (21 CFR 184.1443a). A bread label often says only enzymes. Europe authorizes food enzymes under its enzyme regulation rather than with an E-number, so alpha-amylase is not evaluated as an additive there. The enzyme does its work in the dough and is then destroyed by baking. Gluten-free status depends on the source: fungal and bacterial preparations are gluten-free, and malted barley is not.

Is Alpha-amylase vegan?

Yes. Bakery amylase is grown from a fungus or a bacterium, or it comes from malted grain.

Is Alpha-amylase gluten-free?

Depends. Fungal and bacterial amylase are gluten-free. Amylase from malted barley is not.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

Baking temperatures and enzyme inactivation
21 CFR 184.1443a