Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) in Animal Feed: Function, Forms, Dosage and Regulatory Status

Feed-grade vitamin E is alpha-tocopheryl acetate, an EU nutritional feed additive (identification numbers 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii) that supplies the lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin to all animal species. Which form, and how much per kg feed? The EU entries set no minimum and no maximum content, so inclusion rates come from requirement tables and breed-company specifications, never from the act.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/341 renewed the three EU entries until 2033-03-08, and in the US alpha-tocopherol acetate is GRAS under 21 CFR 582.5892. Vitamin E sits in category 3, nutritional additives, one of the five feed additive categories of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.

Vitamin E breaks peroxidation chains in membranes together with selenium, reaches poultry, pigs, cattle, horses, fish and pet food on breed or NRC bases, comes as an oil, a 50 % solid preparation or a natural-source RRR preparation rated at 1 or 1.36 IU per mg, is safe for target animals, consumers and the environment in EFSA's view, keeps above 90 % of its content in stored premix but loses more in extrusion, and is bought by identification number, form, content and IU basis.

The identity table below lists the substance data and legal anchors of feed-grade vitamin E.

What Is Feed-Grade Vitamin E?#

Feed-grade vitamin E is the acetate ester of alpha-tocopherol (C31H52O3, 472.7 g/mol), sold as all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (synthetic) or RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (natural-source) for addition to premixes and feed. Synonyms are dl- and d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, or synthetic and natural vitamin E. The CAS number 7695-91-2 belongs to the all-rac acetate, a mono-constituent substance.

Esterification protects the vitamin during storage, and the animal uses it as a lipid-soluble antioxidant with roles in immunity, fertility and meat quality. Free DL-alpha-tocopherol is a different substance: its feed use is the technological antioxidant entry 1b307, which protects feed fats rather than supplying the vitamin.

What is feed-grade vitamin E made of? Alpha-tocopheryl acetate in two forms#

Feed-grade vitamin E is made of alpha-tocopheryl acetate in one of three EU-defined forms: an oil of more than 93 % all-rac acetate, a solid preparation of at least 50 % all-rac acetate, or a preparation of at least 25 % RRR acetate. The RRR acetate in entry 3a700ii has a purity above 40 % and is, in the words of the act, "chemically synthesised from vegetable oils".

Which EU Category and Functional Group Covers Vitamin E?#

Vitamin E belongs to category 3, nutritional additives, and functional group 3a, "vitamins, pro-vitamins and chemically well-defined substances having similar effect", under identification numbers 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii. The three entries cover all animal species with no minimum and no maximum content, so the legal frame fixes the form and purity but leaves the dose to the nutritionist.

A feed additive is a substance, micro-organism or preparation intentionally added to feed or water to perform one of the functions in Article 5(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, and that regulation sorts additives into five categories under Article 6(1). The act authorises vitamin E as a nutritional additive; immunity, fertility and meat quality are physiological roles of the vitamin, not authorised claims. Vitamin A and vitamin D3, by contrast, carry EU maximum contents, while vitamin E carries none.

How Does Vitamin E Work in the Animal?#

Vitamin E works as a chain-breaking antioxidant in cell membranes, stopping lipid peroxidation, and it acts together with the selenium-dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase. The three steps of that defence are listed below.

1. A free radical attacks a polyunsaturated lipid in the cell membrane and starts a peroxidation chain.
2. Alpha-tocopherol in the membrane donates hydrogen to the lipid radical and breaks the chain.
3. Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase removes the peroxides that have already formed.

The acetate in feed is not itself the active antioxidant: it is the stable storage form, while free tocopherol oxidises in premix.

Vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C as antioxidant partners#

Vitamin E and selenium share the antioxidant defence: selenium builds the glutathione peroxidases that remove peroxides, while vitamin E breaks peroxidation chains inside membranes. Selenium also forms thioredoxin reductases and iodothyronine deiodinases, and the sources and limits of selenium in animal feed are capped by law, unlike those of vitamin E.

Vitamin C completes the system, because it regenerates vitamin E after the tocopherol has donated its hydrogen.

Which Animals Can Be Fed Vitamin E, and at What Inclusion Rate?#

All animal species may receive vitamin E in the EU without a minimum or maximum content, so inclusion rates come from breed-company specifications and NRC requirements, for example 80 IU added per kg broiler starter feed (Ross 2022) and 44 IU/kg diet for gestating sows (NRC 2012). The table sets each value next to its basis and instrument.

Breed and NRC values are formulation targets, never legal limits, and they are not mixed with the act. Signs and feed causes of vitamin deficiencies in livestock and poultry are a separate subject from inclusion rates.

Vitamin E for chickens and other poultry#

Aviagen's Ross 2022 broiler specification adds 80 IU vitamin E per kg feed in the starter (0 to 10 days), 65 IU in the grower (11 to 24 days) and 55 IU in the finisher (25 days to market), as breed-company recommendations, not legal limits.

No EU maximum applies to vitamin E in poultry feed, unlike vitamin A, whose EU maximum per category of chicken limits how far a premix can follow a breed specification. For broiler and turkey formulation the vitamin E question is therefore one of formulation target, not of legal ceiling.

Vitamin E for pigs and sows#

NRC 2012 sets the vitamin E requirement of gestating sows at 44 IU per kg diet, as tabulated by Jeong and colleagues (Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 2019).

US swine nutritionists formulate vitamins well above these NRC values, according to the survey by Faccin and colleagues (Translational Animal Science, 2023). The survey also found wide variation between nutritionists, so NRC values mark a floor of practice rather than a common target.

Vitamin E for cattle, and vitamin E with selenium#

Cattle may be fed vitamin E in the EU under 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii without a maximum content, and in the US the acetate is GRAS for all animal feeds under 21 CFR 582.5892.

Selenium, unlike vitamin E, is capped. The EU allows at most 0.50 mg Se/kg complete feed (12 % moisture) from all sources, with supplementation from organic selenium capped at 0.20 mg/kg (Implementing Regulations (EU) 2019/49 and 2019/804). The US allows 0.3 ppm added selenium in complete feed for cattle and other listed species under 21 CFR 573.920.

Vitamin E for horses, fish and pet food#

Horses, fish and dogs and cats are covered by the same EU entries, which name all animal species, and by the US GRAS listing for all animal feeds. Entry 3a700, the oil, may also be used in water for drinking. Extruded aquafeed and pet food expose vitamin E to extrusion, one of the processes that damage it most.

How Far Above Requirement Is Vitamin E Supplemented, and What Did Studies Find?#

Pig producers in the US and China supplement vitamins well above NRC 2012 requirements (Faccin et al. 2023; Yang et al. 2021), yet Jeong and colleagues found no reproductive benefit in gestating sows fed 1 to 9 times the NRC vitamin levels (2019). The three studies in the table differ in design and scope.

The two surveys describe what nutritionists do, not what the animal needs. The Jeong trial raised all vitamins together, so it does not isolate the effect of vitamin E.

Which Forms and Grades of Vitamin E Are Sold?#

Vitamin E for feed is sold in three EU-defined forms: all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate oil above 93 % (3a700), a solid preparation of at least 50 % all-rac acetate (3a700i) and a preparation of at least 25 % RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (3a700ii). The table compares the three forms by the values the act prints.

The IU equivalence applies to the acetate, not to the preparation. A label in IU per gram of product therefore depends on the content of each lot, and buyers read it from the certificate of analysis.

Natural and synthetic vitamin E: RRR- versus all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate#

Natural-source vitamin E in feed is RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (3a700ii), which the EU act rates at 1.36 IU per mg, while synthetic vitamin E is all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (3a700, 3a700i) at 1 IU per mg. "Natural" here describes the stereochemistry: the act calls the RRR form "chemically synthesised from vegetable oils". In the US pig sector, about 40 % of the surveyed nutritionists use natural vitamin E, 25(OH)D3 or organic minerals (Faccin et al. 2023).

Vitamin E 50: the solid preparation 3a700i#

Vitamin E 50 is the trade description of the solid preparation 3a700i, which contains at least 50 % all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate adsorbed for mixing into premixes.

What Is the Regulatory Status of Vitamin E? EU and US Side by Side#

Vitamin E is authorised in the EU for all animal species under 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii until 2033-03-08 (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/341) and is GRAS in the US under 21 CFR 582.5892 and 582.5890. The matrix compares the two jurisdictions, status 3 November 2026.

EU Register entries 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/341#

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/341 renewed the vitamin E entries 3a700, 3a700i and 3a700ii for all animal species, with no minimum or maximum content and no withdrawal period, and set one common expiry date for all three. The entries 3a700 to 3a700ii in the EU Register of Feed Additives, read 2026-11-03, show the same act and date.

The 2023 act repeals Regulation (EU) No 26/2011, the earlier vitamin E act. Each entry carries its own conditions: the oil 3a700 may be used in water for drinking, and its users wear skin protection.

Is vitamin E GRAS in the US? 21 CFR 582.5892 and 582.5890#

Yes: alpha-tocopherol acetate is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for animal feed under 21 CFR 582.5892, and tocopherols under 21 CFR 582.5890, when used in accordance with good manufacturing or feeding practice (eCFR, current to 2026-10-30). The listing covers all animal feeds and sets no withdrawal period.

The sections set no numeric limit, so US doses also follow requirement tables. GRAS under 21 CFR 582 is one route of US feed additive regulation, next to the 21 CFR 573 listings and AAFCO definitions.

A US GRAS listing never implies EU status, and the EU entries never imply US status.

Is synthetic vitamin E allowed in EU organic feed?#

Yes, with conditions: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1165 allows vitamins derived from agricultural products, synthetic vitamins identical to natural ones for monogastric animals and aquaculture, and for ruminants only synthetic vitamins A, D and E with prior Member State authorisation.

An organic dairy or beef ration may therefore contain synthetic vitamin E only after the Member State has authorised it. The full rules for feed additives in organic production are set out in Annex III of that act.

Is Feed-Grade Vitamin E Safe? Target Animal, Consumer, User and Environment#

EFSA's FEEDAP Panel concluded that vitamin E as all-rac- and RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate is safe for the target animals, for consumers and for the environment, and that the active substance raises no concern for users, without a conclusion on skin sensitisation (EFSA Journal 2021;19(4):6531). The table gives the conclusion for each receptor.

The renewal by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/341 followed these opinions.

Handling vitamin E in feed mills and premix plants#

Premix workers handle vitamin E with skin protection, which the act prescribes for the oil 3a700, because EFSA drew no conclusion on its skin-sensitising potential. For hazard classification and personal protective equipment, see the product SDS.

How Stable Is Vitamin E in Premixes, Pellets and Extruded Feed?#

Vitamin E acetate is one of the most stable vitamins in premix, with more than 90 % retained after 12 months of storage (Yang et al. 2019, Animals), but one of the most sensitive to extrusion (Riaz et al. 2009). The table sets the three studies and the form note side by side.

Under the same heat and humidity in the Saensukjaroenphon trial, vitamins A and D3 held for 30 days, so vitamin E outlasted both. Overages and pelleting losses across all vitamins are covered under vitamin stability in feed.

Premix composition matters for the other vitamins more than for vitamin E. In the Yang study, choline chloride, high copper and zinc and storage time reduced vitamins A, K3 and B1, while vitamin E kept its retention.

How to Source Feed-Grade Vitamin E: Specification Checklist for Feed Mills and Premixers#

Buyers specify feed-grade vitamin E by EU identification number, form and content, IU basis and analytical method, because the act fixes the form and purity but sets no dose. The seven checklist items are listed below.

• Identification number and form on the label: 3a700 (oil), 3a700i (solid preparation) or 3a700ii (RRR preparation).
• Minimum content on the certificate of analysis: more than 93 %, at least 50 %, or at least 25 % RRR acetate with purity above 40 %.
• IU basis per mg of acetate as the act prints it for each form.
• Analytical method: HPLC under Regulation (EC) No 152/2009, the official method for vitamins A and E in feed.
• Storage and retention data for the product in premix.
• Safety data sheet with skin-protection advice.
• Certification fields (FAMI-QS, GMP+, organic, halal) as the buyer requires them.

Supply rests on few production plants, so events at one site reach the market. BASF declared force majeure for selected vitamin A, vitamin E and carotenoid products on 7 August 2024 after a fire at Ludwigshafen, and vitamin E reaches complete feed through feed premixes, where such gaps show first. Quotes depend on volume, form, destination and certification.

Frequently Asked Questions about Vitamin E in Feed#

The two questions below come up most often about vitamin E in feed.

What are the 5 major functions of vitamin E?#

In animal feed, vitamin E has four documented roles: lipid-soluble antioxidant, and support of immunity, fertility and meat quality. The EU act authorises it as a nutritional additive in functional group 3a, not as a claim for any of these roles.

What are vitamin E and selenium used for?#

Vitamin E and selenium are used together in feed for antioxidant defence: vitamin E protects membranes and selenium forms glutathione peroxidases. For chickens, the EU caps total selenium at 0.50 mg/kg complete feed (12 % moisture), and the US allows 0.3 ppm added selenium under 21 CFR 573.920.

How Does Vitamin E Differ from Tocopherol Extracts, Selenium Sources and Vitamin C?#

Vitamin E acetate is the nutritional source of the vitamin (3a700 to 3a700ii), while tocopherol extracts and all-rac-alpha-tocopherol protect feed fats as technological antioxidants (1b306i, 1b306ii, 1b307), selenium sources supply the partner trace element and vitamin C regenerates vitamin E. The table compares the three alternatives by role and legal entry.

The tocopherol extracts are free tocopherols, so they act in the feed, not as a vitamin source, and fat protection is the job of feed antioxidants such as tocopherol extracts. Their EU entries cover all animal species with no minimum and no maximum under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2084, which runs to 2036-10-11.