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Food additive · Antioxidant

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)

E-number
E320
CAS
25013-16-5

A synthetic antioxidant that keeps fats from going rancid in cereals, snacks, chewing gum and meat products.

  • Food additive
  • Preservative
  • Expert review pending
High concern Level 3 of 4 How concern levels work

A regulatory warning or restriction somewhere, or strong evidence of harm at typical intake. The concern level sets how many points BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) costs on a product’s receipt.

What the evidence says

  • IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic)Strong evidence

    IARC classifies BHA as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans), based on animal studies. [1]

  • Warning label requiredRegulatory

    California lists BHA under Proposition 65 (cancer, 1990). [2]

  • Caused tumors in animal studiesStrong evidence

    The US National Toxicology Program lists BHA as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, based on animal studies. [3]

  • Under regulatory reviewInfo

    The FDA began a post-market safety assessment of BHA and requested data in 2026 (Docket FDA-2026-N-0302). EFSA (2012) found exposure below its ADI of 1 mg/kg body weight. [4][5]

Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.

Rules around the world

WhereStatusDetailsDateSource
United States Under review Permitted with limits (21 CFR 172.110); FDA post-market assessment under way. — [6]
California (US) Warning label required Listed under Proposition 65 (cancer, 1990). Jan 1, 1990 [2]
European Union Restricted Permitted (E 320) only in listed foods with maximum levels. — [7]
Canada Permitted On Health Canada's List of Permitted Preservatives, with limits. — [8]

“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.

Popular products that list BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)

40 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole). The 12 most scanned:

Diets and allergens

Vegan
Yes
Vegetarian
Yes
Gluten-free
Yes

For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.

Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (15)
  • bha
  • e320
  • bha bht
  • bha and bht
  • antioxidant bha
  • antioxidant e320
  • bha for freshness
  • bha and citric acid
  • bha as a preservative
  • butylated hydroxyanisol
  • antioxidants bha and bht
  • butylated hydroxyanisole
  • bha to preserve freshness
  • bha butylated hydroxyanisole
  • bha added to preserve freshness

Sources

  1. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  2. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  3. Report on Carcinogens, 15th Edition: Butylated Hydroxyanisole

    U.S. National Toxicology Program · Dec 21, 2021 · Agency assessment

    “Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.”

    ntp.niehs.nih.gov

  4. List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Jul 29, 2026 · Regulator

    “The table below includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances, and contaminants under FDA review as of May 12, 2026 .”

    fda.gov

  5. Statement on the safety assessment of the exposure to butylated hydroxyanisole E 320 (BHA) by applying a new exposure assessment methodology

    European Food Safety Authority · Jul 24, 2012 · Agency assessment

    “The Panel concluded that exposure to BHA from its use as food additive based on new exposure estimates does not exceed the ADI of 1 mg/kg bw/day at the mean”

    doi.org

  6. 21 CFR 172.110 BHA

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Nov 22, 2016 · Law

    “The food additive BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) alone or in combination with other antioxidants permitted in food”

    ecfr.gov

  7. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 of 11 November 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 by establishing a Union list of food additives

    European Union (Official Journal) · Nov 11, 2011 · Law

    “E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  8. 11. List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives)

    Health Canada · Oct 20, 2025 · Regulator

    “B.2 Butylated Hydroxyanisole n/a (a) Active dry yeasts (a) Preservative (a) 1,000 ppm n/a”

    canada.ca