Allervibe
E320
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
A synthetic phenolic antioxidant used to keep fats, oils and fat-containing foods from going rancid.
i Additive Details
| Is E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) safe?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified BHA in Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, on the basis of rodent studies in which high doses produced tumours in the forestomach. The human relevance of that finding is disputed, because humans have no forestomach and the tumours arose in a tissue people do not possess. In California, BHA is listed under Proposition 65 as a chemical known to the state to cause cancer. Contact dermatitis and urticaria have been reported in a small number of people; EFSA considers the additive acceptable within its ADI.
| Uses
Added to vegetable oils, frying fats, lard, margarine and animal fats to delay oxidation. Common in snack foods, dehydrated potato products, breakfast cereals, nuts, dried meat, soup and seasoning mixes, flavourings and chewing gum base. It survives baking and frying better than many other antioxidants, so it is used where the fat is heated.
| Interactions
Frequently used together with BHT (E321) and with gallates such as propyl gallate (E310); citric acid (E330) is added as a chelating synergist that binds the trace metals which trigger oxidation. Under EU rules the maximum level in fats and oils is often set as a combined total for BHA, gallates and TBHQ (E319) rather than for each substance separately. BHA is fat-soluble and carries through into the finished product from fried or baked ingredients.
| Origin
Entirely synthetic; it does not occur naturally in food. It is produced by reacting 4-methoxyphenol with isobutylene, giving a mixture of the 3-tert-butyl and 2-tert-butyl isomers, of which the 3-isomer predominates.
| Daily Intake
EFSA re-evaluated BHA in 2011 and set an ADI of 1.0 mg per kg of body weight per day. The ADI set by JECFA is 0 to 0.5 mg per kg of body weight per day. BHA and BHT have separate ADIs and should not be treated as one figure.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E300 Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) Vitamin C, used both as a nutrient and as a food antioxidant.
- E310 Propyl gallate A synthetic antioxidant, the propyl ester of gallic acid, used to stop fats and oils turning rancid.
- E321 Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) A synthetic phenolic antioxidant used to delay rancidity in fats, oils and fat-containing foods.
- E301 Sodium ascorbate The sodium salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), used as an antioxidant in food.
- E302 Calcium ascorbate The calcium salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), used as a food antioxidant.
- E304 Ascorbyl palmitate A fat-soluble form of vitamin C, made by joining ascorbic acid to palmitic acid.
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