SGS Advises of Significant GDCh Revisions Impacting Vitamin E Declarations
BAAR, SWITZERLAND / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 10, 2026 / SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is drawing attention to revised vitamin conversion tables published by the Food Chemistry Division (Working Group on Nutrition Issues) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). The revised tables align with current scientific understanding and the European Union legal framework for food and dietary supplements and replace earlier versions from 2001 and 2006.
The GDCh revisions introduce clearer differentiation between individual vitamin compounds, updated conversion factors and units, the removal of historical simplifications and stronger alignment with EU food law requirements. While analytical measurement results remain unchanged, nutrient values calculated using the new factors may differ significantly, affecting nutritional declarations and product evaluation.
SGS experts identify vitamin E as one of the most significant areas of change. The revised tables adjust the conversion factors used to calculate α-tocopherol equivalents from synthetic DL-α-tocopherol and DL-α-tocopherol acetate, resulting in a substantially lower assigned vitamin E activity for these forms.
The revised framework also establishes that tocopherols and tocotrienols other than α-tocopherol are no longer considered to contribute to vitamin E activity. This is particularly relevant for vegetable oils, tocopherol mixtures and fortified foods that previously relied on other tocopherol forms for calculation purposes. In some cases, calculated vitamin E values could drop by more than 30 percent compared to earlier tables, despite unchanged laboratory results.
Although the GDCh vitamin conversion tables are not legally binding, SGS notes that they are widely used as an authoritative technical reference by manufacturers, auditors and regulators. As a result, companies may need to review specifications, update nutritional calculations, adjust vitamin-related labeling and revise documentation provided to authorities or customers.
By highlighting this development, SGS helps food and dietary supplement companies respond to evolving technical expectations and implement changes efficiently, supported by vitamin analysis services and expert guidance on nutritional declarations.
Stakeholders are encouraged to read the complete article for more information.
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Buckley
Senior Global Marketing Manager
SGS, Health & Nutrition
Tel: +1 9738669043
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