Tocopherols

Tocopherols are natural forms of vitamin E, used in cat food as a preservative to slow fat oxidation. FDA lists tocopherols as GRAS chemical preservatives for animal feed under good manufacturing or feeding practice (21 CFR 582.3890). Cats also need vitamin E as a nutrient, which complete foods supply. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: govinfo.gov

Tocopherols are added to keep the fats in cat food from going rancid. They react with oxygen before the fat does, which slows spoilage of fat-coated kibble. They are a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives such as BHA or ethoxyquin. Labels often pair them with citric acid or rosemary extract.

On a cat food label they mean nearly the same thing. Tocopherols is the general name for the vitamin E family of compounds. Mixed tocopherols spells out that the ingredient is a blend of several forms rather than one. Most labels use mixed tocopherols, and Pettings keeps a separate page for the shorter name because a few labels use it.

The tocopherols used to preserve pet food usually come from vegetable oils, which is why they count as a natural preservative. Synthetic vitamin E also exists, and labels often list it separately as vitamin E supplement. Tufts veterinary nutritionists note that natural preservatives protect food for a shorter time than synthetic ones such as BHA.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives tocopherols 4 out of 5 and lists it as a natural preservative. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Most foods use the name mixed tocopherols, which has its own page. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.