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How many times have you looked at the back of a dog food bag and seen "tocopherols" or "mixed tocopherols" and had no idea what that is or why it's in your dog's food? Well, you're in luck, because today for my April blogging from A to Z Challenge I had to find a dog food ingredient to write about that begins with the letter "t". Unlike other days in the challenge, finding a topic for "t" day was easy. I had a few options to choose from. I ultimately decided to write about tocopherols today, because I feel like they are one of "those" ingredients that probably many people have heard of. But many know what tocopherols actually are. This post is part of our 2023 April blogging from A to Z Challenge! Join us this month as we go through the alphabet, A to Z, learning more about some of the ingredients that are commonly (or not so commonly, in some cases) found in our dog’s food! What are Tocopherols? Tocopherols are fat-soluble compounds that make up different forms of vitamin E. There are 8 total forms of vitamin E, four of which (alpha-tocopherol, beta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol) are tocopherols. Although the four tocopherols are similar, each one has a slightly different chemical structure. When a dog food bag lists "mixed tocopherols" as an ingredient, it means that multiple forms of vitamin E are added into the food. Tocopherols are found naturally in oils, such as sunflower and olive oil, fish, seeds, nuts, and leafy greens. Why are Mixed Tocopherols Added to Dog Food? Tocopherols are commonly added to dog food because they act as a natural preservative. Mixed tocopherols have the ability to inhibit the oxidation of fats. This means that they can help protect the fats in dog food from going rancid. Mixed tocopherols are often considered to be a healthier alterative to other types of potentially unhealthy food preservatives. Cons of Feeding Tocopherols to Dogs: Vitamin E, in the form of mixed tocopherols, are often touted to have additional health benefits beyond just preserving food. However, it's somewhat questionable whether or not the amounts of tocopherols present in most dog foods would be enough for dogs to experience significant benefits. Mixed tocopherols are almost exclusively added to dog foods as a preservative. Although tocopherols are safer than other food preservatives, such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin, they are less effective than artificial preservatives. Dog foods preserved exclusively with natural tocopherols will normally have a shorter shelf life. This isn't the end of the world, but it's something that's important to take note of. If your dog food is preserved with mixed tocopherols, it's best to use the bag of food before it's 'best by' date. Benefits of tocopherols for Dogs: Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help protect your dog's body from free radicals. Free radicals are associated with diseases such as cancers. Vitamin E helps the immune and circulatory systems work optimally, and helps to maintain healthy muscles, eyes, skin, and coat. The main benefit of mixed tocopherols in dog food, however, is the fact that using them as natural preservatives in dog foods means that companies can avoid using potentially unhealthy/detrimental preservatives to keep their foods fresh. So What’s the Verdict on Tocopherols? Are They Safe as a Dog Food Ingredient? Mixed tocopherols, which are basically just varied forms of vitamin E, are used as natural preservatives in dog food. Tocopherols are seen more commonly in higher quality dog foods. While the amount of tocopherols/vitamin E used in dog food likely isn't enough for your dog to experience any significant benefits from the ingredient, their main benefit is the fact that they are often used in place of potentially unhealthy artificial preservatives. Mixed tocopherols as a preservative do not work as long as other preservatives. If your dog food is more natural and is preserved exclusively with mixed tocopherols, it's best practice to finish each bag of food before it's 'best by' date. Pet food hoarders take note. If you like to keep stores of your dog's food in stock at home, it's a good idea to rotate stock so you are using older bags first. Comment below! Does your dog's food contain mixed tocopherols? Did you know what they were or what they were used for? Do you try to make sure you're using your dog's food before the expiration date on the bag? We’ve, unfortunately, been dealing with content scrapers stealing our articles lately. You shouldn’t be seeing this article on any site other than pawprintpetblog.com! If you’re reading this article on any other site, we’d love for you to take the time to contact us and let us know and, if you have the time, stop by and visit us on our official site! Thanks you.

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