Neutral Protease

Neutral Protease (Bacillus metalloprotease) is an endopeptidase active at neutral pH that hydrolyses internal peptide bonds with broad specificity. It is the principal protease for protein hydrolysate manufacture, meat processing and the bakery dough-relaxation segment.

Off-white to light tan free-flowing powder, or amber liquid. Activity is standardised in Neutral Protease Units defined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method on casein at pH 7.0.

We supply food-grade Neutral Protease from manufacturers in China holding ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, Halal, Kosher and other certifications relevant to the product and production. Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens are the dominant source organisms.

Common market grades include 50,000 U/g standard food grade, 100,000 to 200,000 U/g concentrated for protein-hydrolysate production, 500,000 U/g high-activity grade, and low-bitterness grades engineered for clinical-nutrition and infant-formula hydrolysates.

Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering activity, pH optimum, temperature optimum, moisture, heavy metals and microbiology.

Neutral Protease from Bacillus subtilis reached commercial scale in the 1960s and 1970s as the protein-hydrolysate and meat-processing industries grew. The enzyme has since become the workhorse industrial protease for food applications operating at neutral pH, complementing acid proteases in low-pH applications and alkaline proteases in cleaning and detergent applications.

Industrial production is by submerged fermentation of selected Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains. Modern preparations are screened for low bitterness generation, which is the principal quality challenge in protein-hydrolysate manufacture, and for thermostability matched to the target process.

The enzyme is Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA from approved Bacillus strains, listed in the JECFA enzyme compendium, and approved as a processing aid in the EU.

Mechanistically, Bacillus neutral protease is a zinc-dependent metalloendopeptidase with a broad specificity preferring hydrophobic residues at the P1' position. It operates optimally at pH 6.5 to 7.5 and 45 to 55 degrees Celsius, and is reversibly inactivated by EDTA chelation, which provides a clean process-stop mechanism in hydrolysate manufacture.

Strategic positioning is broad and growing: neutral protease is the central protease of the global plant-protein hydrolysate industry, and the same enzyme platform serves the rapidly expanding clinical, sports and infant nutrition protein segments.

• Soy, pea, whey and casein protein hydrolysate manufacture; the dominant industrial protease for neutral-pH hydrolysis
• Meat processing; tenderisation, recovery from trim and production of meat-flavour hydrolysates
• Yeast extract production; supports autolysis-stage proteolysis at neutral pH
• Cracker, biscuit and pretzel dough relaxation; reduces dough tightness and improves machinability
• Fish protein hydrolysate manufacture; the principal route to liquid fish-protein concentrates
• Collagen hydrolysate production; supports peptide-size targeting in collagen-derived ingredients
• Clinical and sports nutrition protein products; defined molecular-weight protein peptides
• Animal feed; protein pre-digestion for aquaculture, pet food and milk replacers
• Cheese making in selected processed and analogue products