The tocopherol content of food and influencing factors.

A compilation has been made of the individual tocopherols in foods based on available literature reports for the period 1965 to 1975. Tocopherol content depends on stage of life cycle, agronomic and genetic factors, season, weather, harvesting methods, processing procedures, storage environment, and time periods of storage. Tocopherols are sensitive to oxygen and oxidative reactions, especially in the presence of catalysts, heat, alkali, and certain radiation. α‐Tocopherol has the highest vitamin E activity for man and animals and is usually the predominant tocopherol in their tissues. Its content varies in plant tissues. A technology currently exists for the addition of the mote stable ester α‐tocopheryl acetate to foods as a nutrient where it has merit and α‐ or γ‐tocopherol as an antioxidant to foods where natural‐type antioxidants are desired.