Industrial Enzymes

Food enzymes are specialized proteins that catalyze specific biochemical reactions in food processing, enabling transformations that would otherwise require chemical treatments or be difficult to achieve. Common food enzymes include amylase (breaks down starch), protease (breaks down protein), lipase (breaks down fats), lactase (breaks down lactose), rennet (coagulates milk protein), and transglutaminase (cross-links proteins). Enzymes have been used in food production for millennia — cheesemaking, bread baking, and brewing all fundamentally rely on enzymatic activity.

Enzymes are used in bread and baked goods, cheese and dairy products, beer and wine, fruit juices, high fructose corn syrup production, meat tenderizers, lactose-free dairy products, restructured meat products, and many processed foods where they may not appear on the ingredient label due to processing aid exemptions.

Level (high → low)Level (low → high)Name (A–Z)Name (Z–A)

AllL1L2L3L4

Garlic Bread Loaf, Garlic

8.15.5/10

Kodiak Wheat Bread

8.15.0/10

Thick Sliced Texas Bread

8.10.0/10

Denali White Bread, Denali White

8.14.5/10

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Cracked Wheat Bread, Cracked Wheat

8.16.5/10

Honey Wheat Premium Bread, Honey Wheat

8.16.0/10

Thick Sliced Soft Rye Bread, Soft Rye

8.16.0/10

Dark Rye Sliced Wide Pan Bread with Dark Eye & Caraway Seeds, Dark Rye

8.17.5/10

Multi Grain with Omega-3 Organic Bread Loaves, Multi Grain

Alpine Valley

8.17.5/10

Double Raisin Cinnamon English Muffins, Double Raisin Cinnamon

Franz

8.17.0/10

Singles Fat Free Pasteurized Process Cheese Product

Great Value

8.16.0/10

Sourdough Bread, Sourdough

Signature Select

8.16.5/10

White Bread, White

Lucky Loaf

8.14.5/10

Multi Grain Bread

8.18.0/10

Sourdough English Muffins

Franz

8.17.5/10

Cabot, Premium Naturally Aged Cheddar Cheese, Hot Habanero

5.53.0/10

Rana, Giovanni Rana, Tortellini Cheese Delicato Pasta, Mild and Creamy

5.54.5/10

Knorr, Sauce Mix, Creamy Pesto

5.50.0/10

Cabot, Hand Selected Premium Cheddar Cheese, Hot Habanero

5.53.0/10

Horizon Organic, Cottage Cheese

5.56.0/10

Whole Grain Breand

5.57.0/10

Natural Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Sea-Salted Cashews & Cherry Juice Cranberries

5.50.0/10

O Organics, Organic Cottage Cheese

5.55.5/10

Bruschetta Tomate

5.56.5/10

Jalapeno String Light Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese with Jalapeno and Red Bell Peppers, Mozzarella Jalapeno

5.34.0/10

Vanilla 100% Lactose Free Ice Cream, Vanilla

5.32.0/10

1% Low Fat Small Curd Cottage Cheese

Friendship Dairies

5.37.0/10

Butter Croissant, Butter

Costco

5.30.0/10

Chocolate Ice Cream with Real Milk, Cream, and Cocoa, Chocolate

Publix

5.32.0/10

Vanilla Simply Delicous, and Made with Milk, Cream, Vanilla Extract, and Ground Vanilla Beans Lactose-Free Ice Cream, Vanilla

Publix

5.33.0/10

Crystal Farms, Colby Cheese

3.03.0/10

Organic Valley, Sour Cream

3.03.5/10

Farmer Style Fresh Cheese

3.03.5/10

Chunks of Hard Cheese with Loroco

3.03.5/10

Montchevre, Natural Fresh Goat Cheese

3.04.5/10

Classic Fresh Goat Cheese

3.04.0/10

Belgioioso, Freshly Shaved Parmesan Cheese

3.03.5/10

Odyssey, Traditional, Greek Style Feta Cheese, Chunk-In Brine

3.03.5/10

Boar's Head, Swiss Cheese

3.00.0/10

Colonna, Imported Parmesan Grated Cheese

3.05.5/10

Cabot, Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3.03.0/10

Cabot, Premium Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar Cheese

3.03.0/10

Cabot, New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3.03.0/10

Mccadam, New York Cheddar Cheese, Mild

3.03.0/10

Cabot, Premium Pepper Jack Cheese

3.03.0/10

Kroger, Natural Sour Cream

1.00.0/10

Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Swiss & Cheddar Cheese Pepper Jack Cheese Is a Blend of Monterey Jack Cheese & Jalapeno Peppers Colby Jack Cheese Is a Blend of Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese Classic Slices, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Swiss & Cheddar Cheeses

1.04.0/10

Colby Jack Blend of Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Natural Cheeses

1.04.0/10

Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Swiss, Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices Party Tray, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Swiss, Mild Cheddar

1.04.0/10

Thick Cut Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese, Mild Cheddar

1.03.5/10

Mozzarella Whole Milk Low-Moisture Shredded Cheese, Mozzarella

1.03.5/10

Real Cheddar Cheese & Sea Salt Cheddar Head Popcorn, Real Cheddar Cheese & Sea Salt

1.06.0/10

Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken & Mushroom Sauce

1.04.0/10

Charcuterie Bites Sliced Smoked Uncured Pepperoni, Sliced Gouda Cheese & Pitted Green Olives

1.03.5/10

Medium Cheddar & Colby Jack Cheese Sliced Variety Pack, Medium Cheddar & Colby Jack Cheese

1.03.5/10

Organic, Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese, Mild Cheddar

1.03.5/10

Mozzarella Organic Low-Moisture Part-Skim Shredded Cheese, Mozzarella

1.03.5/10

Swiss Cheese

Great Value

1.04.5/10

Queso Quesadilla Shredded Cheese, Queso Quesadilla

Stater Bros. Markets

1.03.5/10

Mild Cheddar Thick Cut Shredded Cheese, Mild Cheddar

Food Club

1.03.5/10

Browse all 27,194 products →

Industrial Enzymes can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:

Food enzymes accelerate specific chemical reactions during food processing to achieve desired transformations in texture, flavor, appearance, and nutritional properties. Amylases convert starches to sugars for fermentation and browning. Proteases tenderize meat and clarify beverages. Lipases develop flavor in cheeses. Pectinases clarify fruit juices by breaking down pectin. Transglutaminase bonds proteins together to restructure meat products. Many enzymes are denatured (inactivated) by heat during cooking or processing, meaning they are not active in the final product.

Food enzymes are produced through microbial fermentation using bacteria (Bacillus species), fungi (Aspergillus species), or yeasts that have been selected or genetically engineered to produce high yields of specific enzymes. Traditional enzyme sources include animal tissues (pepsin from stomach lining, rennet from calf stomachs) and plant materials (papain from papaya, bromelain from pineapple). Modern enzyme production has largely shifted to microbial fermentation, which provides consistent quality, scalable production, and vegetarian-compatible alternatives to animal-derived enzymes.

Most food enzymes are denatured during processing and are no longer active in the finished food product. Enzymes are proteins and are digested like other dietary proteins when consumed. Some enzyme preparations may contain trace amounts of the production organism or its metabolites, though these are controlled through purification processes. Individuals with allergies to specific enzyme sources (e.g., papaya for papain) should be aware of enzyme origins.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

In the US, many food enzymes are classified as GRAS or approved as food additives. The FDA does not require enzymes used as processing aids (those inactivated or removed during processing) to be declared on ingredient labels, which means many enzymatically processed foods do not list enzymes among their ingredients. The EU has established a more comprehensive regulatory framework for food enzymes under Regulation EC 1332/2008, requiring safety evaluation and authorization of all food enzymes.