Preservative (synthetic phenolic antioxidant)

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Also known as: CAS 25013-16-5, (1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methoxyphenol, tert-Butyl-4-methoxyphenol, E 320, Butylated hydroxyanisole, Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha), BHA, E320

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a synthetic phenolic antioxidant used as a preservative to prevent fats and oils in food from going rancid. It is commonly found in items such as cereals, chips, snack foods, butter, meats, baked goods, chewing gum, and food packaging, and is also used in animal feed and cosmetics.

Is Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) safe? Is it banned or restricted? Below is the cited record — every claim linked to the regulator, study, or report that made it.

The charges against Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

4 findings

Exhibit 01

Warning

Texas Senate Bill 25 (89th Legislature, 2025) lists this substance among 44 ingredients that trigger a mandatory consumer warning label under Texas Health & Safety Code Sec. 431.0815. The label reads: "WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom." It applies to food labels developed or copyrighted on or after January 1, 2027. On February 11, 2026 the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas preliminarily enjoined enforcement against the plaintiff trade groups and their members; Texas appealed to the Fifth Circuit on March 5, 2026.

Named in Texas SB 25 (2025) among 44 ingredients requiring a consumer warning label: "not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom." The requirement applies to labels developed or copyrighted on or after Jan 1, 2027, and was preliminarily enjoined by a federal court (W.D. Tex., Feb 11 2026); Texas’s appeal is pending at the Fifth Circuit.

Tier 1 · RegulatoryUS-TXTexas Legislature / Texas DSHS· 2025-06-22

Exhibit 02

Warning

Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. First listed in the Sixth Annual Report on Carcinogens (1991). [Listed] based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.

The U.S. National Toxicology Program officially lists BHA as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,' based on sufficient evidence of cancer in animal studies.

Tier 1 · RegulatoryUSU.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP), Report on Carcinogens· 2021-12-21

Exhibit 03

Warning

Butylated hydroxyanisole - Type of Toxicity: Cancer. Listing Mechanism: Authoritative Bodies (International Agency for Research on Cancer). Date Listed: January 1, 1990.

California lists BHA under Proposition 65 as a chemical known to the state to cause cancer; it was added to the list on January 1, 1990, on the basis of the IARC carcinogen classification.

Tier 1 · RegulatoryUS-CACalifornia OEHHA / Proposition 65 Warnings (CA.gov)· 1990-01-01

Exhibit 04

Concern

There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of butylated hydroxyanisole to experimental animals. No data were available on the carcinogenicity of butylated hydroxyanisole to humans. Overall evaluation: possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

IARC classifies BHA as Group 2B, "possibly carcinogenic to humans": the Vol. 40 (1986) monograph found sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals and no available human data, and the Group 2B evaluation was confirmed in Supplement 7 (1987).

Tier 1 · RegulatoryGLOBALIARC Monographs (Vol. 40), via IPCS INCHEM· 1986-01-01

Food Court reports publicly available findings from regulatory bodies, peer-reviewed research, and journalism. We cite every claim. We are not your doctor — we are a search engine for what's known about your food. Follow the links to the original sources.