Proteolytic Enzymes / Tenderizing agents
Papain
Parameters
- Chart entries
- 2
- Purposes
- To soften tissue
- Curing agent
- no
9 CFR 424.21, chart at paragraph (c). eCFR as in force on 2026-01-01, retrieved 2026-09-04.
Permitted uses and amounts
| Class | Purpose | Products | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proteolytic Enzymes | To soften tissue | Raw poultry muscle tissue of hen, cock, mature turkey, mature duck, mature goose, and mature guinea, and raw meat cuts | Solutions consisting of water and approved proteolytic enzyme applied or injected into raw meat or poultry tissue shall not result in a gain of more than 3 percent above the weight of the untreated product. |
| Tenderizing agents | To soften tissue | Raw poultry muscle tissue of hen, cock, mature turkey, mature duck, mature goose, and mature guinea, and raw meat cuts | Solutions consisting of water and approved proteolytic enzyme applied or injected into raw meat or poultry tissue shall not result in a gain of more than 3 percent above the weight of the untreated product. |
Footnotes referenced above
- 3 Provided that its use is functional and suitable for the product and it is permitted for use at the lowest level necessary to accomplish the desired technical effect as determined in specific cases prior to label approval under part 412 of this chapter.
Buying it
The chart above is a regulatory permission: it says this substance may be used, for which purpose, in which products and up to what amount. It is not a recommendation to use it, and the amount in the chart is a ceiling rather than a dose. A retail form of this substance exists, and it is linked below so that the figure in the chart can be checked against what is actually in the packet.
Affiliate links
The listing below is an Amazon affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases: if you buy through one of these links Amazon pays a commission and you pay the same price you would have paid otherwise. Links and prices were resolved on 2026-09-04 by a build script and are not re-fetched when you load the page. Full terms on disclosures.
Listing
Indus Farms Papaya Powder, Papain Powder, Natural Food Tenderizer, 8 oz
- Lowest new, checked 2026-09-04
- $16.10
- Brand
- Indus Farms Superfoods
- ASIN
- B07P13XL1W
Affiliate link, tag carbs.com-20. Prices read from the Amazon Creators API on 2026-09-04 and not re-fetched since. Amazon prices move within a day; treat these as the figure on that date, not as a quote.
Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), Title 9, 9 CFR 424.21. Parsed from eCFR XML as in force on 2026-01-01, retrieved 2026-09-04. Read the section