The effect of a-tocopheryl acetate (ATA) in combination with synthetic antioxidants in a diet without added fat or in a diet containing 4% acidulated soybean-oil soapstock on the a-tocopherol (AT) content of abdominal fat and on the stability of carcass tissues of 8-week-old broilers was determined.Ethoxyquin (EQ), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Endox-50 consistently (but not significantly, P>.05) increased AT levels in carcass fat of birds fed diets with or without ATA supplementation.The stability of abdominal fat and thigh meat increased with the combination of EQ and ATA in birds fed the two basal diets beyond the effect of each of these materials fed alone. The combination of BHT with ATA increased the stability of fat and meat only in birds fed the diet without added fat. Endox-50 did not improve tissue stability either with or without ATA supplementation. (