Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for vitamin E as α-tocopherol

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) derived Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for vitamin E. In this Opinion, the Panel considers vitamin E as alpha-tocopherol only. The Panel considers that Average Requirements (ARs) and Population Reference Intakes (PRIs) for vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) cannot be derived for adults, infants and children, and therefore defines Adequate Intakes (AIs), based on observed intakes in healthy populations with no apparent alpha-tocopherol deficiency in the EU. This approach considers the range of average intakes of alpha-tocopherol and of alpha-tocopherol equivalents estimated by EFSA from dietary surveys in children and adults in nine countries. The Panel notes the uncertainties in the available food composition and consumption data, the fact that most EU food composition databases contain values for vitamin E as alpha-tocopherol equivalents, as well as the contribution of average alpha-tocopherol intakes to average alpha-tocopherol equivalent intakes in these countries. For adults, an AI for alpha-tocopherol is set at 13 mg/day for men and 11 mg/day for women. For children aged 1 to < 3 years, an AI for alpha-tocopherol is set at 6 mg/day for both sexes. For children aged 3 to < 10 years, an AI for alpha-tocopherol is set at 9 mg/day for both sexes. For children aged 10 to < 18 years, an AI for alpha-tocopherol is set at 13 mg/day for boys and 11 mg/day for girls. For infants aged 7-11 months, an AI for alpha-tocopherol of 5 mg/day is derived by extrapolating upwards from the estimated alpha-tocopherol intake in exclusively breast-fed infants aged 0-6 months and rounding. For pregnant or lactating women, the Panel considers that there is no evidence for an increased dietary alpha-tocopherol requirement, and the same AI is set as for non-pregnant non-lactating women. (C) European Food Safety Authority, 2015.