Cysteine E920/ E921

Cysteine (E920/E921), also known as cystine, L-cysteine or L-cystine, is a food additive that can be used in the food industry as a flour treatment agent to improve the elasticity and kneadability of dough, so the dough does not stick hang on the machine and the baking processes are accelerated.

Manufacturing 

Cysteine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the human body. It can also be found in nature, especially in vegetable proteins and in larger amounts in keratin. For the food industry, it can be either synthetic or made from keratin, which can come from horns, hair, (pig) bristles or feathers. The amino acid can be extracted from keratin with the help of hydrochloric acid.
Since April 1, 2011, however, the manufacture of hair from human hair has been legally prohibited in the EU.

 

Usage 

Cysteine is approved as a food additive (E920 and E921) in Europe. As a flour treatment agent, it can be found primarily in baked goods such as bread, rolls or ready-made yufka dough. Furthermore, the use of cysteine in some snack items cannot be completely ruled out.
In addition to being used in some baked goods, it can also be used in cosmetics and medicines.

 

Is Cysteine Halal?

When produced synthetically, cysteine (E920 and E921) is considered harmless but it should be avoided when it is obtained from animal components, for example from pig bristles.

It is important to know that cysteine does not necessarily have to be found in all baked goods. The ingredients can vary with each manufacturer or baker, so it is necessary to ask the respective manufacturer or baker.
When using cysteine, it does not always have to be of animal origin, a synthetic production is also possible.

 

 

Reference

• www.lebensmittellexikon.de/Cystein
• Halal-Speise im deutschsprachigen Raum, Dr.Yavuz Özoguz