Call for comment to permit the use of a new processing aid

Published

Date: 10/10/2023

​Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the use of the enzyme transglut​aminase (EC 2.3.2.13) as a processing aid.

FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said the enzyme would be used in brewing and the manufacturing and/or processing of food products.

“If approved, the enzyme may be used as a processing aid in brewing and in the production of bakery and other cereal-based products such as pasta and noodles, cheese, fermented dairy products, dairy analogues, egg substitutes, meat products, fish products, meat analogues and fish analogues," Dr Cuthbert said.

The enzyme is sourced from genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis containing the transglutaminase gene from Streptomyces mobaraensis.

“B. licheniformis has a long history of safe use as a production microorganism of enzyme processing aids, including several that are already permitted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code," Dr Cuthbert said.

“Our assessment found no safety or health concerns with its intended use."  

To have your say about this application, see our call for comment page​. Submissions close at 6pm (Canberra time) 21 November 2023.

What happens to my feedback?

Submissions will be published to our website as soon as possible at the end of the public comment period.

FSANZ will consider all feedback received through this submission process before deciding on whether to approve the application.

FSANZ's decision will be notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.

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