Pectinase — Hidden Processing Agent — Is It Vegan?
Also known as: Pectin-degrading enzyme, Polygalacturonase, Pectinesterase
Vegan
No animals or animal-derived substances are involved in producing this agent.
Not required on labels
Listed as 'enzyme' in juice and wine ingredients if declared. Typically not required to appear on the final product label when used as a processing aid.
Source
Produced by microbial fermentation — primarily from the fungi Aspergillus niger or Aspergillus oryzae. Entirely microbial in origin.
Used In
Fruit juice clarification (apple, grape, citrus), wine production (increases juice yield and improves clarity), beer production, coffee processing (wet fermentation), pectin extraction.
How to Avoid
No need to avoid — pectinase is vegan.
Editorial Notes
Pectinase is one of the most important industrial enzyme groups. In juice production, it breaks down the pectin in fruit cell walls, releasing more juice and improving clarity. In coffee, wet-process fermentation uses naturally occurring pectinase-producing microorganisms to remove the mucilage from coffee beans — a traditional practice now better understood microbiologically.