Patent ID: 6916638

Claim:
A method for producing glycine, comprising: providing glycinonitrile in the form of an aqueous solution thereof, subjecting the aqueous solution of glycinonitrile to a hydrolysis reaction in a hydrolysis reaction system under the action of a microbial enzyme having the activity to hydrolyze a nitrile group, thereby converting said glycinonitrile to glycine while by-producing ammonia, said hydrolysis reaction system having oxygen dissolved therein in an amount of 5 ppm by weight or less, based on the weight of said hydrolysis reaction system, and containing at least one organic impurity compound inhibiting said microbial enzyme, wherein said at least one organic impurity compound inhibiting said microbial enzyme has a molecular weight of 95 or more and contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of a nitrile group, a carboxyl group, an amide group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group and a trimethyleneamine structure, wherein said trimethyleneamine structure has a skeleton represented by the following formula (1): wherein n represents an integer of 1 or more, said hydrolysis reaction being performed under conditions wherein, during said hydrolysis reaction, the content of said organic impurity compound inhibiting said microbial enzyme in said hydrolysis reaction system is maintained at a level of 10% by weight or less, based on the weight of said hydrolysis reaction system, and isolating the glycine from the hydrolysis reaction system.