On September 30, 2015, the European Food Safety Authority("EFSA") issued a scientific opinion on the reevaluation of certain food additives tocopherols, which are used as antioxidants in foods to inhibit the peroxidation of fats and lipids. EFSA recommended that the maximum limits for the impurities of toxic elements like arsenic, lead, and mercury in the EU specifications for tocopherols be revised to ensure the use of tocopherols as food additives will not be a significant source of exposure to these elements in food. The Panel also recommended reassessing the appropriateness of scientific evaluation of tocopherols as new data on γ- and δ-tocopherols becomes available.
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