Mixed tocopherols in dog food: what they are and why

“Chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols)” is a line you may see on dog food bags. The words sound odd. They are plain in the end. Here is what they are and what the rules say.

What are mixed tocopherols in dog food?

They are a blend of forms of vitamin E. They are added to keep the fat fresh. Fat can go stale over time. Mixed tocopherols are one way to slow that.

Vitamin E is not one thing. It is a small family. Food holds four kinds of tocopherol, named alpha, beta, gamma and delta, plus four close cousins. “Mixed” just means the blend has more than one kind. EU experts describe the feed blend as a mix of alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherol.

The extracts EU experts looked at are made from plant oils.

Why is it added to dog food?

It is there to keep fat from going bad. In feed, it works as an antioxidant. That is a thing that slows how fat goes bad.

EU experts list these extracts as an antioxidant, a type of additive that helps the feed itself. They said the job in feed is the same as in people food, where they are used as antioxidants too. In the body, vitamin E helps keep the fats in cells from being harmed.

Are mixed tocopherols safe for dogs?

The rules in the US and the EU both allow them. The FDA lists them as safe in animal food. EU experts looked at them twice and found them safe for all animals at the levels used. If you have a question about your own dog, your vet is the best person to ask.

In the US, the FDA has a list of preservatives, things that keep food from going bad. Tocopherols are on its list of safe preservatives for animal food, when used with good practice. It also lists them as safe as a nutrient in animal food.

In the EU, food safety experts found these extracts safe for all animals at the levels used. They checked again later and said the extracts are still safe for all animals under the current rules.

One note is about people who work with the raw extract. EU experts said the extract can cause skin or breathing allergies in workers who touch or breathe it. That is about the pure stuff at work. It is not about a bowl of food.

Are mixed tocopherols the same as vitamin E?

Yes and no. They are forms of vitamin E. But in dog food they are there to keep fat fresh.

In people, not every form counts the same. A review found that only the alpha form meets the vitamin E needs of people. The body breaks down the other forms faster. That paper is about people, not dogs.

In the EU, vitamin E fed as a nutrient is its own additive. EU experts class one lab-made form as a vitamin, used as a source of vitamin E for all animals. The tocopherol blends that keep fat fresh are in the antioxidant group instead.

How do you spot them on a label?

Look in the ingredient list. They often sit in brackets after a fat, like “chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols).” US rules say an added preservative must be named, with a note on its job. That is why you see the word “preserved.”

The rule says a food with an added preservative must list its name and a separate note on its job, such as “preservative”.

Some foods use BHA (a lab-made preservative) and BHT, a close cousin, instead. For more on reading the whole panel, see how to read a dog food label. The vitamin list can hold odd names too, like menadione (a lab-made form of vitamin K). Vague words can show up as well, like natural flavor.

If you want to spot mixed tocopherols fast, you can scan the label with Altie.