What is it?
A mix of the natural forms of vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols) taken from plant oils, mainly soya, sunflower, rapeseed and wheatgerm. They are the same compounds the body needs as a vitamin, not made in a lab.
E-numbers / Antioxidants / E306
Tocopherols
also: Mixed tocopherols · Natural vitamin E · Tocopherol-rich extract of natural origin
Natural vitamin E taken from vegetable oils, added to stop the fats in packaged food going rancid.
Scan a barcode to check a food for tocopherols. NutraSafe Pro · £6.99/month · iOS
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions. Salt Antioxidants, (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract, Citric Acid).
E306
Tocopherols
A mix of the natural forms of vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols) taken from plant oils, mainly soya, sunflower, rapeseed and wheatgerm.
VeganVegetarianHalalKosher
557
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E306 in their ingredients
That is 1.3%, counted by its code or its name.
Only 7.5% of these labels print “E306”. Most use the name: look for “tocopherol-rich extract”.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
How common it is in UK food, by aisle
- Crisps and savoury snacks185 products5.4% of 3,428
- Yoghurt, milk and dairy65 products2.9% of 2,273
- Breakfast cereals49 products8% of 611
- Cakes, biscuits and desserts48 products1.3% of 3,715
What tocopherols is, what it does and where you will see it
What does it do?
They stop fats going rancid by breaking the chain reaction that damages them, which prevents off flavours, rancid smells and colour changes in oils. The vitamin E is used up as it works, so foods with more easily spoiled fats need more of it.
Where you will see it
Mainly vegetable oils, margarine, spreads and reduced-fat products. Also breakfast cereals, infant formula, dried soups, dried foods, nut products, snacks with nuts or seeds, chewing gum and chocolate-style coatings. Labels call it antioxidant (E306), tocopherols or vitamin E (E306).
What the science says
It adds a little vitamin E to the diet
At the amounts used in food, E306 also adds some vitamin E, a vitamin the body needs to protect cell walls and support the immune system. UK reference intakes are 3mg a day for women and 4mg for men. Additives usually supply only a small part of that.
Alpha-tocopherol is the form of vitamin E most active in the body and is the basis for reference intakes. Tocopherols at normal intakes are an established essential nutrient.
UK nutrition guidanceSACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition), UK
European reviewers looked at tocopherols again in 2015 and set no numerical daily limit, because they are natural parts of food and additives add little next to normal diet.
2015Regulator reviewEFSA ANS Panel opinion on tocopherols (E306, E307, E308, E309)
High-dose supplements are a separate question
The concern with vitamin E is about high-dose supplements, not food. Some large randomised trials found supplements gave no benefit, and one review of trials found a small rise in deaths at doses above 400 IU a day. That is about tablets, far above anything food and additives together can supply.
A review of 19 clinical trials found high-dose vitamin E supplements (400 IU a day or more) were linked to a small but real rise in deaths from all causes. Lower doses showed no such sign.
2005Review of many trialsMiller et al., Annals of Internal Medicine
The SELECT trial found long-term vitamin E supplements at 400 IU a day in healthy men were linked to a modest rise in prostate cancer diagnoses compared with a dummy pill.
2011Randomised trial in peopleKlein et al. (SELECT), JAMA
European reviewers noted these supplement findings come from intakes far above what food and additives together can supply, and did not treat them as relevant to the additive.
2015Regulator reviewEFSA ANS Panel opinion on tocopherols (E306, E307, E308, E309)
Usually made from soya oil, with the protein removed
Most tocopherols are taken from soya oil. Refining usually removes the soya protein to well below the level that sets off soya allergy in practice. UK law does not require an allergen warning for soya-derived tocopherols used as additives, because the protein is largely gone. People with severe soya allergy may still want to know.
Soya tocopherols are not a declared allergen under UK labelling law because processing removes protein to trace levels, though the research cannot fully rule out a risk for people with severe soya allergy.
LawUK Food Information Regulations (assimilated EU 1169/2011, Annex II)
Where it stands with the regulators
Approved in the UK and the EU
Daily limit. None set (European reviewers, 2015).
- Legal basis
- On the Food Standards Agency's approved list for Great Britain
- Permitted foods
- Vegetable oils and fats · Margarine and spreads · Breakfast cereals · Infant and follow-on formula · Dried foods · Nut and seed products · Snacks · Chewing gum · Chocolate-style coatings · Dried soups and sauces · Cereal-based baby foods
- Maximum levels
- No set maximum in most foods, as long as makers use no more than they need. Infant formula has set limits.
- History
- Tocopherols have been approved antioxidants in the EU and UK for decades. European reviewers completed a full review in 2015 and kept them approved with no numerical daily limit, noting that high-dose supplement data cannot be applied to additive use. There have been no UK restrictions or bans since Brexit.
Who should be careful
People with severe soya allergy may want to check with the maker, since most tocopherols come from soya oil, though the protein is largely removed. Look for tocopherols (E306) or antioxidant (E306) on the label.
The honest read
E306 is one of the most ordinary additives. It is the natural form of vitamin E, taken from the same plant oils people already eat, and used to stop packaged fats going rancid. As an additive it is not in dispute. A separate and genuinely contested question is whether high-dose vitamin E tablets, 400 IU a day and above, carry risks, and some large trials suggest they might. But those doses are many times higher than any diet plus additives could supply, and say nothing about E306 in packaged food.
Common questions about tocopherols
Is E306 banned in the UK?
No. Tocopherols are approved antioxidants in the UK, with no bans or restrictions since Brexit.
Is E306 the same as vitamin E?
In practice, yes. It is a natural mix of tocopherols from vegetable oils, the same compounds the body uses as vitamin E. It is different from E307, which is man-made alpha-tocopherol, though both belong to the vitamin E family.
What foods contain E306?
Vegetable oils, margarine, reduced-fat spreads, breakfast cereals, nut and seed snacks, infant formula, dried soups and sauces, chocolate-style coatings and chewing gum. Labels usually call it antioxidant (E306), tocopherols or vitamin E (E306).
Is E306 vegan?
Yes. It is taken from plant oils, mainly soya, sunflower, rapeseed and wheatgerm, with nothing from animals.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of tocopherols (E306, E307, E308, E309) as food additives
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- Miller et al.: Meta-analysis of high-dose vitamin E supplementation and all-cause mortality, Annals of Internal Medicine
- Klein et al. (SELECT): Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer, JAMA
- UK Food Information Regulations: assimilated EU Regulation 1169/2011 (allergen labelling)
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
Related additives
It's the only app that does thisUKJaneK
You Need This AppGmac2005
Best AppGK getting skinny UK App Store reviews
See this on every food you scan
NutraSafe reads the label and puts every additive into plain English, with the source, right in the app.
NutraSafe Pro · £6.99/month · iOS