PURPOSE: To provide a release agent capable of stripping off paper, cloth, etc. bonded with a starch-based adhesive without causing damage to adherend and substrate, by adding an accelerator which decomposes the main component of the adhesive, and a surfactant.

CONSTITUTION: The release agent is prepared by dissolving or dispersing in water a hydrolytic enzyme for a linear polymer such as amylose or amylopectin which is a main component of a starch-based adhesive, and adding, when necessary, an acclerator to promote the hydrolyzing action of the enzyme and a surfactant to facilitate penetration of the enzyme into the adhesive layer. An example of formulation is 100pts.wt. water, 0.5pt.wt. amylase, 2pts.wt. ethylene glycol and 0.1pt.wt. CaCl2.