BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole)
بوتيل هيدروكسي أنيزول (BHA)
Antioxidant (synthetic phenolic)
A synthetic antioxidant flagged as possibly carcinogenic. Easy to skip.
Why this verdict
Synthetic phenolic antioxidant. EFSA 2011 ADI 1.0 mg/kg (no genotoxicity; forestomach proliferative changes at high dose). IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic, Vol 40). Suspected endocrine (estrogenic/anti-androgenic) activity. Exposure usually below ADI, but the cancer + endocrine signals warrant caution; cleaner antioxidants exist.
What It Is
A synthetic antioxidant that stops fats and oils going rancid - found in cereals, chips, shortenings, and chewing gum, often alongside BHT.
Here's the honest, both-sides version: IARC lists BHA as a possible carcinogen (Group 2B), based largely on forestomach tumours in rodents - and humans don't have a forestomach, so that specific finding's relevance is genuinely debated. What's harder to dismiss is the suspected hormone (endocrine) activity. Regulators permit it with an ADI of 1.0 mg/kg and most people stay under it, but cleaner antioxidants (vitamin E, rosemary extract) do the same job - so this is an easy one to minimise rather than panic over.
Evidence & Status
IARC Carcinogen Group
2B (possibly carcinogenic; IARC Vol 40, 1986)
Acceptable Intake
ADI 1.0 mg/kg bw/day (EFSA 2011)
EU Status
Approved (ADI 1.0 mg/kg, EFSA 2011)
US · FDA Status
Approved (GRAS, specified uses)
Halal Status: Halal
Synthetic (no animal source); halal and vegan.
Worth Knowing
Also Known As
E 320 · BHA
Primary Source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
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