TOCOBIOL® – Blend of Tocopherols

TOCOBIOL® is a wide range of non-allergenic tocopherols of natural origin designed for food and nutritional products. They effectively protect unsaturated fats in food products, preserving their active ingredients and extending their shelf life.

1. Natural and Upcycled Ingredients
2. Antioxidant Activity of TOCOBIOL®
3. What is Oxidative Rancidity?
4. How Does TOCOBIOL® Work?
5. The TOCOBIOL® Range

TOCOBIOL® is composed of a blend of tocopherols of natural origin: α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol.

These antioxidants are upcycled ingredients obtained from the valorization of co-products from the oil industry, such as non-GMO soybean and sunflower by-products. Naturally present in vegetable oils, they are extracted from the deodorization by-products of these oils.

TOCOBIOL® ingredients are kosher and halal certified.

Thanks to its composition, TOCOBIOL® exhibits ideal antioxidant properties for use in food products.

Contrary to common belief, D-α-tocopherol (vitamin E) is not an effective antioxidant and should not be used to protect food from oxidation. Blends of tocopherols of natural origin, especially those rich in δ-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, are more effective for food preservation. Soy-derived tocopherols, which contain an average of 88% of these components, are particularly suitable.

TOCOBIOL® is therefore ideal for protecting fats and oils from oxidative rancidity, allowing food products to retain their organoleptic and nutritional properties over time.

Oxidative rancidity is a spontaneous oxidation process that occurs when unsaturated fatty acids (with at least one double bond) are exposed to oxygen.

Factors such as heat, light, humidity, and the presence of metals like iron, zinc, and copper can accelerate this phenomenon.

This chemical process is characterized by a chain reaction where free radicals attack fatty acids, generating more radicals in the process. This leads to the degradation of the food's organoleptic qualities (unpleasant taste, odor, etc.) and its nutritional value over time.

Tocopherols, thanks to their antioxidant properties, oxidize in place of unsaturated fatty acids. Unlike the latter, tocopherols stabilize into forms that do not evolve into radical states. This prevents free radicals from attacking fatty acids in foods.

TOCOBIOL®’s mechanism of action can be summarized as follows:

• Neutralizing free radicals
• Donating phenolic hydrogen atoms to free radicals
• Converting free radicals into stable, non-reactive forms

The antioxidant effectiveness of TOCOBIOL® has been demonstrated through various Rancimat tests conducted by BTSA.

BTSA develops tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of each client, ensuring optimal efficiency for every application type.

The range includes two categories of ingredients:

• Tocobiol®:
  - Products containing 18% tocopherol blends
  - More concentrated products with 30% to 90% tocopherol content
• Tocobiol® Blends:
  - A range of customized antioxidants combining Tocobiol® with other natural or synthetic ingredients to create a synergistic effect and enhance antioxidant capacity (e.g., Tocobiol® + green tea extract or Tocobiol® + ascorbyl palmitate).

Tocopherols extracted from soybean oil are non-allergenic. However, sunflower-based tocopherols are also available in the range.