The disclosure provides a method of producing allulose by contacting a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 with a fructose substrate, wherein the protein has allulose 3-epimerase activity, and at least partially purifying the allulose. The disclosure also provides a method of producing allulose by providing a vector comprising a nucleic acid molecule having a polynucleotide sequence encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein the protein has allulose 3-epimerase activity, synthesizing the protein having allulose 3-epimerase activity, contacting fructose with the protein having allulose 3-epimerase activity, and partially purifying the allulose produced.