What is E1100?

Complete guide to understanding E1100 (Amylase) – the natural enzyme that improves bread and baking

The Quick Answer

E1100 is amylase—a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down starch into simpler sugars. Unlike most food additives that are chemical compounds, E1100 is a biological enzyme produced through fermentation. It’s used in breadmaking, baking, and other food applications as a “processing aid” (not a food additive in the traditional sense) to improve dough properties, enhance fermentation, and increase bread volume and texture.

E1100 is derived from fungal sources (most commonly Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus niger fungi) or, less commonly, from pig pancreas. It works naturally—yeast ferments the simple sugars produced when amylase breaks down starch, improving dough handling and bread quality.

E1100 is FDA-approved and EU-authorized as a processing aid (flour treatment agent). It’s categorized as “Generally Recognized As Safe” and has extremely low risk. It’s particularly valued because it mimics the natural action of salivary and pancreatic amylase in the human body.

What Exactly Is It?

E1100 is amylase—a class of enzymes (alpha-amylase, beta-amylase) that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into simpler sugars like maltose and glucose. It’s a protein enzyme naturally occurring in humans (salivary glands, pancreas), plants, and microorganisms.

Think of amylase as biochemical scissors—it cuts starch molecules (long chains of glucose) at specific points, creating shorter chains and simple sugars. This is the same process that happens in your mouth when chewing starchy foods, and in your digestive system. E1100 is simply a concentrated version of this natural enzyme used in baking to improve dough and bread quality.

Key characteristic: Unlike most food additives, E1100 is a living biological catalyst. It doesn’t become part of the food—it catalyzes a reaction and then is typically denatured (inactivated) during baking. The final bread product contains minimal to no active enzyme.

Enzyme identity:

• Enzyme class: Glycoside hydrolase (also called glycosidase)
• Specific enzymes in E1100: Alpha-amylase (α-amylase), beta-amylase (β-amylase)
• Substrate: Starch (polysaccharide)
• Products: Maltose, glucose, other oligosaccharides
• CAS Number (α-amylase): 9000-90-2
• EC Number: 3.2.1.1
• Function: Breaks α-1,4-glycosidic bonds in starch

How it’s made/sourced:

E1100 is produced through natural fermentation processes:

• Fungal fermentation (PRIMARY SOURCE): Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus niger fungi cultured on grain substrate; amylase enzymes naturally secreted by fungi
• Alternative source: Pig pancreas extract (pancreatic amylase)
• Production method: Fermentation under controlled conditions; enzyme extracted and concentrated
• Natural process: Uses fungi that naturally produce amylase; no genetic modification
• Purification: Enzyme preparation purified and concentrated to food-grade specifications
• Food-grade preparation: Commercial E1100 typically contains ~10,000-40,000 U/mL enzyme activity

Naturally-derived: E1100 is truly naturally-derived—it’s a biological product of fermentation, not synthetically manufactured. This is one of the key distinctions between E1100 and most other E-number additives.

Where You’ll Find It

E1100 appears in food products where improved dough handling and bread quality are desired:

Primary Food Applications:

• Bread and bakery (MAJOR USE) – improves volume, crust color, crumb structure; extends shelf life
• Baked goods (MAJOR USE) – cakes, pastries, cookies, sweet baked goods
• Processed grain products – flour tortillas, English muffins, naan, flatbreads
• Brewing and distilling – converts starch to fermentable sugars; improves efficiency
• Starch processing – syrup production, sweetener manufacturing
• Alcohol production – grain-based spirits, whiskey, vodka

• Some sauces and soups – flour-thickened products (minor use)

Non-Food Applications:

• Textile industry – starch removal from fabrics
• Detergents – enzyme-based cleaning products (domestic and industrial)

Regulatory status: EU Classification—E1100 listed as “processing aid” (flour treatment agent) under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; technically NOT classified as a “food additive” in strict EU terms because it’s not intended to remain in final food. FDA—Approved as a GRAS enzyme under 21 CFR 184.1100.

Primary food application: E1100 is most extensively used in breadmaking where it improves dough handling and bread quality. The enzymes are typically fully denatured during baking, so final bread contains no active enzyme—only the beneficial effects on texture, volume, and crust color remain.

Why Do Food Companies Use It?

E1100’s primary function is improving dough properties and bread quality by making more sugars available for yeast fermentation.

Food manufacturers use amylase enzyme for multiple strategic advantages:

• Increased sugar availability: Converts starch to sugars; gives yeast more food for fermentation
• Better dough handling: Improved dough extensibility; easier to process
• Increased bread volume: Better fermentation leads to greater gas production and larger loaves
• Improved crust color: More sugars available = better browning (Maillard reaction)
• Better crumb structure: Improved gas retention and distribution
• Extended shelf life: Better dough structure = slower staling
• Processing efficiency: Standardizes fermentation; reduces variability
• Flavor enhancement: Fermentation produces flavor compounds
• Cost efficiency: Minimal amounts needed (5–20 ppm); cost-effective improvement
• Natural process: Mimics traditional slow fermentation in engineered format; appeals to “natural” positioning
• Regulatory acceptance: FDA GRAS; EU-approved; widely accepted worldwide
• No residues: Enzyme denatured during baking; no active enzyme in final product

Unique advantage: E1100 is one of the few food additives that works through natural biological mechanisms that already occur in human digestion. It’s enzyme-based rather than chemical—making it fundamentally different from synthetic additives.

Is It Safe?

E1100 is safe at food use levels and has an excellent safety record as a naturally-occurring enzyme.

Regulatory approval:

• FDA status: GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) under 21 CFR 184.1100; approved for food use
• EU authorization: Approved as processing aid (flour treatment agent) under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
• JECFA evaluated: Recognized as safe by Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
• GSFA approval: Listed as permitted food additive (Codex Alimentarius)

Safety profile:

• No Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) needed: Enzyme denatured during processing; no exposure to active enzyme in final food
• Very low risk: No documented safety concerns in scientific literature
• Naturally-occurring: Already present in human body (salivary glands, pancreas); identical mechanism to digestive enzymes
• No acute toxicity: Proteins; denatured by heat and stomach acid; cannot survive digestion as active enzyme
• No chronic toxicity: No documented adverse effects from long-term exposure
• No adverse effects: No documented adverse health effects in any population
• No carcinogenicity: No evidence of cancer-causing potential (enzyme protein; non-toxic metabolites)
• No reproductive/developmental effects: Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding
• No genotoxicity: Protein enzyme; no DNA interaction
• Allergen potential: Very low; enzyme protein typically denatured during processing; no known allergenicity
• No bioaccumulation: Protein; metabolized like other dietary proteins
• Residue in final product: Enzyme denatured during baking; no active enzyme in final bread
• Long history of safe use: Amylase used in food production for decades; no safety revisions
• Extremely low exposure: Used at very low concentrations (5–20 ppm)
• Digestive compatibility: Works through same mechanism as human digestive enzymes; compatible with normal digestion

Differences: Source of E1100

Modern preference: Most commercial E1100 is now derived from fungal sources, making it suitable for vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and halal certifications. Check product labels for source specification.

The Bottom Line

E1100 (amylase) is a naturally-derived biological enzyme used in breadmaking and baking to improve dough properties, increase bread volume, enhance crust color, and improve crumb structure by converting starch into simple sugars for yeast fermentation.

It’s FDA-approved and EU-authorized as safe.

Key advantages: E1100 is safe at food use levels. FDA GRAS approval and EU authorization indicate regulatory confidence. Naturally-occurring enzyme identical to human digestive enzymes. Enzyme denatured during baking; no active enzyme in final food. Very low use levels. Decades of safe use without documented adverse effects. Naturally-derived through fermentation (not synthetic). Genuinely “natural” additive.

For consumers: E1100 is safe when encountered in food products. Unlike most E-number additives (which are chemical compounds), E1100 is a biological enzyme—the same type your body produces naturally for digesting starch. It mimics your own digestive process. The enzyme is denatured during baking, so final bread products contain no active enzyme—only the beneficial effects on texture and quality remain.

Primary application: E1100 is iconic in commercial breadmaking where it improves volume, crust color, and shelf life. Artisanal and traditional bakeries often skip E1100, relying instead on extended fermentation to achieve similar results—demonstrating that E1100 is truly a processing optimization tool rather than a necessity.

Natural perspective: E1100 is perhaps the most genuinely “natural” E-number additive. It’s biologically produced through fermentation of naturally-occurring fungi, uses a mechanism identical to human digestion, and contains no synthetic components. This makes it fundamentally different from chemically-synthesized E-number additives.