The oxygen scavenging system of the subject invention contemplates a
composition, system and appurtenant methodology for substantially
eliminating elemental oxygen from packaged oxygen sensitive products. The
composition or scavenging agent includes an oxidoreductase enzyme, a
suitable energy source or substrate for the enzyme, and a buffer. The
composition binds oxygen when exposed to moisture, thereby reducing the
level of oxygen in a closed (e.g., sealed) space such as a food package
or the like. More particularly and preferably, the composition includes
glucose oxidase in an amount of between 1 and 100 activity units (U) per
gram, catalase in an amount of between 1 and 300 activity units (U) per
gram, dextrose in an amount of between about 20 and 99 percent by weight,
and sodium bicarbonate in an amount of between about 1 and 80 percent by
weight.