Additives
BHT (E321): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Moderate
Antioxidant · Synthetic antioxidant
Synthetic antioxidant related to BHA. Mixed evidence - some animal studies suggest cancer-promoting effects. EFSA considers it safe at current use levels but it remains under monitoring.
- Category
- Antioxidant — Synthetic antioxidant
- Typically used in
- Cereals, crisps, chewing gum, vegetable oils
- Regulatory status
- Approved EU/USA/UK. Under safety monitoring.
- Also listed as
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene
- Concerns flagged
-
Possible allergenCarcinogenicity concernEndocrine disruptionNeurotoxicity concern
Scrannr flags BHT automatically when you scan a barcode.
Sources
Where this comes from
- EFSA (2012) — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene BHT -E 321- as a food additive http://dx.doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2588
- Pandya et al. (2025) — Exploring the Mechanisms of BHA, BHT, and TBHQ in Hepatotoxicity, Nephrotoxicity, and Neurotoxicity from the Perspective of Network Toxicology https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11988534/
Products
Products containing BHT
We're building product pages that show real UK products containing BHT, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.
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