BHA & BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole · Butylated hydroxytoluene · E320 · E321
Synthetic antioxidant preservatives added to fats and oils to extend shelf life. Both have been restricted or banned in much of the world — but remain common in American breakfast cereals, snack foods, and packaged baked goods.
Why we flag them
BHA is classified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" based on consistent evidence of cancer in animal studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists BHA as Group 2B — "possibly carcinogenic to humans." BHT, while less studied, has shown similar effects at high doses in animal research and is suspected of being an endocrine disruptor.
Both compounds are banned in infant foods across the European Union and prohibited in food entirely in Japan, Australia, and several other countries. Many U.S. brands have voluntarily removed them — General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, and Nestlé have all announced phase-outs — but they remain in plenty of products on store shelves.
Where you'll find them
Anywhere fats need to stay stable on the shelf for months:
- Breakfast cereals (still in some, despite phase-out announcements)
- Snack foods — chips, crackers, pretzels, microwave popcorn
- Packaged baked goods — cookies, pastries, donuts
- Cured meats, sausages, jerky
- Chewing gum
- Vegetable oils, shortening, margarine
- Pet food (where BHA/BHT use is especially heavy)
- Cosmetics, lipstick, and some pharmaceuticals
What to look for instead
Cleaner preservation methods are widely available — many brands have already switched:
- Vitamin E (tocopherols) — a natural antioxidant that does the same job
- Rosemary extract — naturally antimicrobial and antioxidant
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) — common in cleaner-label products
- Citric acid — naturally derived alternative
The best signals on a label: "preserved with mixed tocopherols," "no artificial preservatives," or USDA Organic certification, which prohibits BHA and BHT entirely.