Alpha-Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble essential nutrient and antioxidant existing in eight chemical forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol and tocotrienols), with alpha-tocopherol being the only form recognized to meet human requirements. It is added to foods as an antioxidant to prevent lipid oxidation and rancidity, and as a nutritional fortification agent.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

EFSA found no concern that tocopherols are genotoxic or carcinogenic, though data remain insufficient to fully address reproductive and developmental toxicity at high doses. The critical adverse effect of excess intake is prolonged coagulation time and associated bleeding risk. JECFA established a group ADI of 0.15–2.0 mg/kg body weight/day for alpha-tocopherol, and the EU Scientific Committee on Food set a Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 300 mg/day for adults.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	EFSA NDA Panel (2024) reviewed and retained the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) of 300 mg/day for adults, with impaired coagulation/bleeding identified as the critical adverse effect. ULs also retained for children and adolescents at lower levels.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Tocopherols are GRAS under 21 CFR 182.3890 for use as antioxidants in food at GMP levels. No maximum daily intake set by FDA for food-additive use.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Other — Individuals on anticoagulant therapy (e.g., warfarin) should exercise caution, as EFSA identified prolonged coagulation time and increased bleeding risk as the critical adverse effect of high-dose supplemental vitamin E intake.

Pregnancy — EFSA noted insufficient data to fully address reproductive and developmental toxicity of tocopherols at high supplemental doses, warranting medical consultation before use of high-dose vitamin E supplements during pregnancy.

Children — EFSA found that the age-appropriate Tolerable Upper Intake Level for vitamin E was exceeded in children in at least one national survey, indicating that high-dose supplementation should be used with caution in pediatric populations.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1WHO. JECFA Food Additives Database: Mixed Tocopherol Concentrate / Vitamin E (INS 306, INS 307b). apps.who.int
2FDA. Food Additive Status List — Tocopherols (21 CFR 182.3890). fda.gov
3other. Vitamin E — Health Professional Fact Sheet. ods.od.nih.gov
4EFSA. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin E, 2024. efsa.europa.eu
5PubMed. An Update on Vitamin E, Tocopherol and Tocotrienol — Perspectives, 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of tocopherol-rich extract (E 306), α-tocopherol (E 307), γ-tocopherol (E 308) and δ-tocopherol (E 309) as food additives, 2015. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched6 citations