Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (E321)
- Food Fine
What is Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (E321)?
BHT (E321) is an antioxidant that stops fats and oils in foods and chewing gum from going rancid. There's no strong evidence it harms people at normal amounts; liver and other effects appeared in high-dose animal studies. It's fine at normal amounts, though children who eat a lot of foods with it could get close to the daily limit.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)?
Yasno’s verdict on Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT): Fine. No meaningful concern at normal amounts.
Is Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) allowed in the EU?
EU status of Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT): Permitted as a food additive. Conditions and limits come from the regulation cited below. Yasno summarises them and does not replace the legal text.
| Where | EU | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Permitted as a food additive | Not recorded |
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-3094, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2011
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene BHT (E 321) as a food additive, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2012
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 1986
Always check the physical label. Yasno describes evidence and regulatory status. It never says a product is free of an allergen or safe for you, and it is not medical advice.
Yasno reads the whole label from a photo and explains every ingredient like this. It is coming soon to the App Store.