What is TOTOX and why does the value matter?
Direct answer
TOTOX combines the peroxide value and twice the anisidine value into a single figure. A low value means the oil was little oxidised at the time of measurement. It does not mean it stays that way.
Three values that together describe how far the oxidation of an oil has progressed.
On this page
What the value combines
The TOTOX value is: peroxide value plus twice the anisidine value. It therefore includes both primary and secondary oxidation products.
The three values at a glance
| Peroxide value (PV) | primary oxidation products |
|---|---|
| Anisidine value (AV) | secondary oxidation products |
| TOTOX | PV + 2 × AV |
FAQ: recognising quality
All answers come from the centrally maintained FAQ system.
Analytics criteria in detail
The analytics values of the MVS product with status and reference basis.
| Criterion | MVS Omega-3 MVS Pharma |
|---|---|
#9 TOTOX value | TOTOX 5,8 Verified Oxidation lab report |
#10 Peroxide value (PV) | PV 1,2 mEq O2/kg Verified Oxidation lab report |
#11 Anisidine value (AV) | AV 2,3 Verified Oxidation lab report |
#12 Heavy metals | Blei, Quecksilber, Cadmium, Arsen unterhalb der Höchstgehalte Verified Heavy metals analytics |
#13 Dioxins & PCB | Dioxine und PCB unterhalb der Höchstgehalte Verified Dioxins/PCB analytics |
#19 Finished-product COA available | verfügbar Verified Finished-product analysis |
#9
TOTOX value
MVS Omega-3
TOTOX 5,8
Oxidation lab report
#10
Peroxide value (PV)
MVS Omega-3
PV 1,2 mEq O2/kg
Oxidation lab report
#11
Anisidine value (AV)
MVS Omega-3
AV 2,3
Oxidation lab report
#12
Heavy metals
MVS Omega-3
Blei, Quecksilber, Cadmium, Arsen unterhalb der Höchstgehalte
Heavy metals analytics
#13
Dioxins & PCB
MVS Omega-3
Dioxine und PCB unterhalb der Höchstgehalte
Dioxins/PCB analytics
#19
Finished-product COA available
MVS Omega-3
verfügbar
Finished-product analysis
Primary and secondary
In the first phase it is mainly the peroxide value that rises. Beyond a certain point the primary products decline while the secondary ones keep increasing. That is why the peroxide value alone would portray a heavily oxidised oil too favourably.
What a single value does not say
- It does not say how the product develops after opening.
- It says nothing about contaminants such as heavy metals or PCB.
- It says nothing about the origin of the raw material.
- Without a stated reference basis it is not comparable.
Framing in the research
Oxidation values are established parameters of oil analytics. What matters is whether they were measured on the raw material or on the finished product — and at what point in time.
The sources are linked in the evidence center.
How MVS shows these values
MVS reports oxidation values with reference basis and status, and separates them from manufacturer-only disclosures.
Transparency & corrections
This article names its source, status and review date. If you find an error you can submit a correction — it is reviewed, never applied automatically.
- Author
- MVS Redaktion
- Scientific review
- Fachliche Prüfung MVS
- Published
- 2026-10-07
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-20