The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the food enzyme leucyl aminopeptidase produced with the genetically modified Aspergillus oryzae strain NZYM-BU does not pose a safety concern when used in ten food manufacturing processes, including five newly proposed uses. In a scientific opinion adopted on 24 June 2026 and published on 14 July 2026, EFSA updated its previous 2024 evaluation, which had already deemed the enzyme safe for five processes. The extension covers additional applications in cheese production, flavouring preparations from dairy, modified milk proteins, plant-based analogues of milk, and soy sauce. The dietary exposure was estimated at up to 2.187 mg Total Organic Solids (TOS) per kg body weight per day, yielding a margin of exposure of at least 2253 relative to the no-observed-adverse-effect level of 4928 mg TOS/kg bw per day from earlier studies. The assessment follows an application by Novozymes A/S submitted on 9 July 2025, and a public consultation from 22 January to 12 February 2026 that received no comments. The opinion, prepared by EFSA's Panel on Food Enzymes, confirms that the revised conditions of use do not raise safety concerns for European consumers.
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