E309 - Delta-tocopherol

At a glance

• What it is: Delta-tocopherol is one of the natural vitamin E compounds; its E‑number is E309.
• What it does: Acts as an antioxidant to slow rancidity and preserve taste and aroma.
• Where it comes from: Commonly extracted from vegetable oils; suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.
• How you’ll see it on labels: “delta-tocopherol,” “tocopherols,” or “mixed tocopherols (to preserve freshness).”
• Typical foods: Cooking oils, margarines, salad dressings, nut butters, snack nuts, cereals, and baked snacks.
• Regulatory snapshot: Authorized in the European Union (EU) as E309; in the United States (U.S.), tocopherols are generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

Why is Delta-tocopherol added to food?

Food fats and oils react with oxygen over time. This causes rancidity, which creates off-flavors, off-odors, and color changes. Delta-tocopherol is added as an antioxidant to interrupt that oxidation, helping foods stay fresh longer. In the EU it is a listed antioxidant under the E-number E309.¹

You may also see it as part of “mixed tocopherols,” a blend that can include tocopherol-rich extract, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol.

What foods contain Delta-tocopherol?

Delta-tocopherol is most common in foods that contain fats or oils, such as:

• Refined vegetable oils and sprays
• Margarines and spreads
• Salad dressings and mayonnaise
• Peanut butter and other nut or seed butters
• Roasted nuts and trail mixes
• Baked snacks and breakfast cereals
• Instant or powdered products with added fats (for example, drink mixes)

Manufacturers often list it as “mixed tocopherols (to preserve freshness)” on the ingredient line.

What can replace Delta-tocopherol?

Depending on the food, similar antioxidant roles can be filled by:

• Extracts of rosemary
• Ascorbyl palmitate or ascorbic acid
• Citric acid as a synergist to help other antioxidants work
• Synthetic antioxidants like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Choice depends on flavor impact, label goals, and how the food is processed.

How is Delta-tocopherol made?

Commercial delta-tocopherol is typically obtained from the “deodorizer distillate” that comes off vegetable oils during refining. Producers concentrate tocopherols from this by-product and then separate individual forms (like delta) by distillation and purification. EU specifications describe sourcing from vegetable oils and set identity and purity criteria for E309.¹

Is Delta-tocopherol safe to eat?

In the U.S., tocopherols used as antioxidants in food are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) when used in line with good manufacturing practice (GMP).² Internationally, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assigned tocopherols an “ADI not specified,” which is used for substances of very low toxicity when used as intended.³

In the EU, delta-tocopherol is an authorized food additive (E309) with official specifications.¹ Typical use levels in foods are low and aimed at preserving quality rather than adding significant vitamin E.

Does Delta-tocopherol have any benefits?

• In food: It slows oxidation, helping keep flavors, aromas, and colors stable during shelf life.
• In nutrition: Delta-tocopherol is a vitamin E form, but the human body preferentially maintains alpha‑tocopherol; other forms, including delta, are not retained to the same extent. As a result, additive-level amounts do not meaningfully raise vitamin E status.⁴

Who should avoid Delta-tocopherol?

• People on blood-thinning medicines: High-dose vitamin E supplements can increase bleeding risk, especially with anticoagulant drugs. This concern applies to supplements, not the small amounts used as food additives, but ask your healthcare provider if you are on such medications.⁴
• Severe soy allergy: Delta-tocopherol is often sourced from soybean oil refining by-products. However, highly refined oils and ingredients derived from them are exempt from major allergen labeling in the U.S. because refining removes proteins. If you have a severe allergy, consult your clinician and check with the manufacturer when in doubt.⁵

Myths & facts

• Myth: “If a product contains tocopherols, it must be a vitamin E supplement.”
  Fact: In foods, tocopherols are used at low levels to preserve freshness, not to supplement vitamin E.

• Myth: “Natural antioxidants like tocopherols are always weaker than synthetic ones.”
  Fact: Effectiveness depends on the food matrix and processing. In some foods, mixed tocopherols work as well as or better than synthetic antioxidants.

• Myth: “Delta-tocopherol changes the taste of food.”
  Fact: At typical use levels, it is neutral in taste and is chosen to protect, not alter, flavor.

Delta-tocopherol in branded foods

On packaging, look for “delta-tocopherol,” “tocopherols,” or “mixed tocopherols (to preserve freshness)” near the end of the ingredient list. Many shelf-stable oils, nut products, and snacks use it to help maintain quality through the product’s best-by date. Some brands prefer it over synthetic antioxidants to keep a more “kitchen-friendly” label.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Food Additive Status List — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/food-additive-status-list ↩

3. Tocopherols: Safety evaluation — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). https://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/scientific-advice/jecfa/jecfa-additives/details/en/c/406/ ↩

4. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/ ↩ ↩²

5. Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens — Including the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergens-edition-4 ↩