Mixed Tocopherols (Natural Vitamin E)

It means natural vitamin E keeps the fats fresh. The phrase shows the manufacturer chose a natural method of preservation.

Mixed tocopherols are a blend of natural vitamin E compounds used to keep the fats in cat food from going rancid. FDA lists tocopherols as GRAS chemical preservatives for animal feed under good manufacturing or feeding practice (21 CFR 582.3890). Tufts veterinary nutritionists note that natural preservatives protect food for a shorter time than synthetic ones. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about its diet.

Source: govinfo.gov

Mixed tocopherols are added as a natural preservative. Fat in kibble reacts with oxygen over time and turns rancid, which changes the smell and taste. Tocopherols slow that reaction. They let makers avoid synthetic preservatives such as BHA or ethoxyquin. They are usually listed in parentheses right after the fat they protect.

Mixed tocopherols are forms of vitamin E, but in pet food they are added to protect fat, not to meet the cat's vitamin needs. The word mixed means the ingredient holds several tocopherol forms, such as alpha, beta, gamma and delta. Much of it gets used up as it protects the fat, so complete foods often add vitamin E separately as a vitamin supplement.

It can. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say natural preservatives such as mixed tocopherols protect food for a shorter time than synthetic preservatives. That makes the best by date more important. Keep an open bag sealed and in a cool, dry place, and buy a size your cat will finish before the food goes stale.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives mixed tocopherols 4 out of 5 and lists it as a natural preservative. It appears on 92 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. That is more than half of the dry foods in our list. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.