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E306AntioxidantLow concern
Tocopherol
In plain words
The short version
A natural vitamin E extract used as a fat-soluble antioxidant in oils and fatty foods.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
Essential nutrient. Generally well tolerated. A 2005 meta-analysis reported higher all-cause mortality with supplemental doses of 400 IU/day or more, but later reviews found no evidence of an effect on mortality. EFSA (2024) kept a tolerable upper intake level for vitamin E of 300 mg/day for adults from all dietary sources, based on the risk of impaired blood clotting and bleeding.
The detail
Extracted from vegetable oils, especially soybean, sunflower, and wheat germ oils. Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 in studies of fertility in rats.
Added to vegetable oils, margarines, nuts, snack foods, and infant formula to prevent rancidity. Often used in combination with ascorbyl palmitate for synergistic antioxidant effect.
Viscous oily liquid, insoluble in water, soluble in fats and oils. Donates hydrogen to lipid free radicals, breaking the chain of fat oxidation.
Permitted globally without quantitative restrictions in food. Standard ingredient in infant formula.
Sources
- JECFA — Mixed tocopherols concentrate (INS 306), evaluation 1973 — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 1973. JECFA ADI 0–2 mg/kg bw for INS 306
- EFSA — Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin E (2024) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal 2024;22(8):e8953), 2024. Upper intake level and evidence on high-dose supplements and mortality
- 21 CFR 182.3890 — Tocopherols (GRAS) — US eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. US GRAS status, GMP use
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex II — consolidated text of 18.08.2026 — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. EU authorisation, mostly at quantum satis
Checked against these sources on .
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