Purpose / Use

​​BHT is approved for use in the US as an antioxidant, flavor enhancer, and flavoring agent or adjuvant.¹

Products

​​BHT is used in various products including cookies, dough, noodles, snacks, processed meats, and oils. According to the USDA Branded Foods Database, BHT is used in thousands of foods sold in the US.​

Safety assessment

​​Serious concerns about the safety of BHT have emerged over the past several decades. Multiple scientific authorities agree that BHT causes cancer in animals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carcinogenicity of BHT in 1987 and concluded that there was “limited” evidence of carcinogenicity in animals.²  A 2002 report by the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) found that long-term exposure to BHT could cause changes to the liver, lungs, kidney and thyroid.³ The group found that while BHT did not damage DNA, the toxic effects of BHT on the liver at high and long-term doses could lead to unchecked cell growth, which is one possible way chemicals can cause cancer. A 2012 evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which considered evidence evaluated by previous authorities as well as newer studies, also found that BHT caused liver cancer in animals.⁴ However, EFSA believes there is a level of exposure below which the cancer risk is near zero. In the US, the Delany Clause prohibits the FDA from approving the use of additives that induce cancer in humans or animals, regardless of dose.⁵

​In addition to cancer effects, there is evidence of other non-cancer health effects of BHT. The FDA’s Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) evaluated the safety of BHT in food in 1973 and stated that more information was needed to determine the long-term effects of BHT on liver enzyme functions.⁶ SCOGS had similar concerns for butylated hydroxanisole (BHA), but stated that concerns about effects on liver enzymes were more pressing for BHT than for BHA.⁷ Since then, chronic studies, which investigated the long-term effects of BHT, indicate changes in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, part of the cell, that are consistent with changes in liver enzymes.⁴

​Additionally, BHA and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) are sometimes used in conjunction with BHT in food formulations and are chemically related.4 When evaluating safety, the FDA should consider the combined effects of these chemicals—as required by statute.⁸

​The FDA placed BHT on its List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review in August 2025⁹ and CSPI submitted comments to the FDA in July 2026 asking the FDA to ban BHT from food.¹⁰

​Based on the possible cancer risks and impact on liver enzyme function, CSPI rates BHT as Caution.​

References

1. US Food and Drug Administration. Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS): BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE. Available: https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FoodSubstances&id=BUTYLATEDHYDROXYTOLUENE&sort=Sortterm_ID&order=ASC&startrow=1&type=basic&search=bht
2. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Summaries & Evaluations: Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). 40 (1986); 161. Available: https://inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol40/butylatedhydroxytoluene.html
3. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (BHT) CAS No: 128-37-0. United Nations Environment Programme. February 2002. Available: https://hpvchemicals.oecd.org/UI/handler.axd?id=6d30349e-ef9f-496c-a2af-6d497d4f1cca
4. European Food Safety Authority. Scientific Opinion on the Re-evaluation of Butylated Hydroxytoluene–BHT (E 321) as a Food Additive. EFSA Journal 2012;10(3):2588. Available: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2588
5. 21 U.S. Code 348(c)(3)(A)
6. US Food and Drug Administration. Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Opinion: Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT). 1973. Available: https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20171031063105/https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/ucm260875.htm
7. US Food and Drug Administration. Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Opinion: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA). 1978. Available: https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20171031063106/https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/ucm260874.htm
8. 21 U.S. Code 348(c)(5)(B)
9. US Food and Drug Administration. List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review. May 27, 2026. Accessed: June 8, 2026. Available: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-chemical-safety/list-select-chemicals-food-supply-under-fda-review
10. The Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI's comments to FDA on butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). July 16, 2026. Available: https://www.cspi.org/resource/cspis-comments-fda-butylated-hydroxytoluene-bht

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