E308 - Gamma-tocopherols

Author: Karen Lennox Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: January 27, 2026

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)

Characteristics: Gamma-tocopherol is an antioxidant that significantly extends the shelf life of products, prevents their oxidation and discoloration. E 308 can be obtained from plants

Characteristic

Gamma-tocopherol is an antioxidant that significantly extends the shelf life of products, prevents their oxidation and discoloration. E 308 can be obtained from plant sources such as: soybean oil, wheat germ, cotton seeds. It can also be isolated from genetically modified foods. It has the appearance and consistency of a thick oil with a yellow or brown color. Gamma-tocopherol should not be confused with natural tocopherol.

Use

The properties of gamma-tocopherol depend on the amount and temperature of food - a significant increase in temperature can lead to prooxidative effects, and the taste becomes unacceptable. It is widely used in pharmacology, is part of cosmetics.

In the food industry is used:

in meat products to prevent fat oxidation
in dry milk formulas in the form of a stabilizer
as an emulsifier
in carotene-based dyes as a solvent
in the composition of vitamins based on ascorbic acid

When used in industrial processes it should not be entered in the list of ingredients and should be indicated as vitamin C.

Impact on humans

Gamma-tocopherol is of great importance for the human body because it provides the necessary regeneration of damaged cells, which allows for a quality supply of oxygen to all internal organs in need. Prevents the oxidation of vitamin A entering the body and helps to better absorb it. Tocopherols are recommended for use in people suffering from various cancers with tumor formation.

The permissible daily dose is up to 2 mg per 1 kg of body weight. E 308 can be used alone or in combination with other tocopherols. The supplement is not dangerous for humans, does not cause allergic reactions. Adding it to cosmetics, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, significantly improves its appearance and structure.