Safety evaluation of the food enzyme catalase from porcine liver

Published:
Adopted:
EFSA Journal logo
Wiley Online Library

Meta data

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7009
Keywords
Catalase, EC 1.11.1.6, pig, liver, food enzyme
On request from
European Commission
Question Number
EFSA‐Q‐2017‐00406
Panel members at the time of adoption
José Manuel Barat Baviera, Claudia Bolognesi, Andrew Chesson, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Riccardo Crebelli, David Michael Gott, Konrad Grob, Claude Lambré, Evgenia Lampi, Marcel Mengelers, Alicja Mortensen, Gilles Rivière, Vittorio Silano (until 21 December 2020†), Inger‐Lise Steffensen, Christina Tlustos, Henk Van Loveren, Laurence Vernis and Holger Zorn.

Note: The full opinion will be published in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 once the decision on confidentiality will be received from the European Commission.

Abstract

The food enzyme catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) is obtained from porcine liver by Laboratorios Arroyo S.A. It is intended to be used in a broad range of food processes. The Panel noted that the manufacturing process involved the use of a solvent not permitted in the production of food ingredients which include food enzymes. In addition, the evidence provided showed that the manufacturing process could not be guaranteed to inactivate viruses originating from the starting material, including the human zoonotic pathogen Hepatitis E virus. Consequently, the Panel concluded that the use of catalase extracted from porcine liver may present a health risk.

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