Safety evaluation of the food enzyme phosphoinositide phospholipase C from the genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain NZYM‐DI

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José Manuel Barat Baviera, Claudia Bolognesi, Andrew Chesson, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Riccardo Crebelli, David Michael Gott, Konrad Grob, Claude Lambré, Evgenia Lampi, Marcel Mengelers, Alicja Mortensen, Gilles Rivière, Inger‐Lise Steffensen, Christina Tlustos, Henk Van Loveren, Laurence Vernis and Holger Zorn.

The food enzyme phosphoinositide phospholipase C (1‐phosphatidyl‐1D‐myo‐inositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate inositoltrisphosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.11) is produced with the genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain NZYM‐DI by Novozymes A/S. The genetic modifications did not give rise to safety concerns. The production strain has been shown to qualify for the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) status. The food enzyme was co nsidered free from viable cells of the production organism and its DNA. It is intended to be used for degumming of fats and oils. Since residual amounts of total organic solids are removed during washing and purification steps applied during degumming, dietary exposure was not estimated. As the production strain B. licheniformis NZYM‐DI qualifies for the QPS approach to safety assessment and no issue of concern arose from the production process, no toxicological data were required. A search for similarity of the amino acid sequence of the food enzyme to known allergens was made and no match was found. The Panel considered that, under the intended conditions of use, the risk of allergic sensitisation and elicitation reactions by dietary exposure could not be excluded, but the likelihood for this to occur was considered low. Based on the data provided, the Panel concluded that this food enzyme does not give rise to safety concerns, under the intended conditions of use.

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