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Papain

Supplement proteolytic enzyme gut
Aka: papaya enzyme
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, NOW Foods, Enzymedica, Doctor's Best, 21st Century
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Papaya-latex protease sold inside digestive blends
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Efsa: no safety concern as a food-processing enzyme
Cons
  • Papain and chymopapain are known food allergens
  • Efsa could not rule out allergic reactions from diet
  • Limited human evidence — no efficacy review found
Sources
  1. EFSA — Safety evaluation of the food enzyme papain, a cysteine endopeptidase complex from the latex of Carica papaya L. (EFSA Journal, 2026) — identity · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “a cysteine endopeptidase complex, containing papain (EC 3.4.22.2), chymopapain (EC 3.4.22.6), caricain (EC 3.4.22.30) and glycyl endopeptidase (EC 3.4.22.25), obtained from the latex of unripe Carica papaya L.”
  2. EFSA — Safety evaluation of the food enzyme papain (EFSA Journal, 2026) — allergenicity and conclusion · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “papain and chymopapain are known food allergens … identified matches with six food and eight respiratory allergens … a risk of allergic reactions … cannot be excluded … does not give rise to safety concerns”
  3. HSA Guidelines on prohibited and restricted ingredients in HS and TM (GL-CHPB-1-012, Oct 2025), s1.3 / Annex A · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  4. HSA Health Supplements Guidelines (GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. 020, Jan 2026), s8.1 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Currently, HS are not subject to premarket approval and licensing by HSA for their importation, manufacture and sales in Singapore.”
  5. iHerb Singapore — Digestive Enzymes category (default best-selling order); no dedicated papain category exists · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition … NOW Foods … Enzymedica … Doctor's Best … 21st Century”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.