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Toxic Timeout: Here's Why The Pros Say To Avoid Preservatives BHA + BHT

We know to steer clear of suspiciously immortal packaged snacks, but potentially harmful food additives can live in a wide range of unexpected places too. Potentially harmful chemical preservatives, BHA and BHT, are ingredients found in foods like cereal and chips, as well as many common cosmetics. Creepy? We think so. As with every product and ingredient in our Toxic Timeout Series, the concern here is about long-term behaviors. We’re less concerned about the danger of one bag of chips or one shower with a questionable shampoo then we are the cumulative effect of a lifetime of minor, but pervasive chemical exposures.

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Articles of Interest

Three decades later, BHA remains in food

In 1990, a doctor filed a petition asking the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of the additive BHA in food – and they’re still waiting for a response. BHA, or butylated hydroxyanisole, is a preservative used in cured meats and other foods. It’s also found in some types of rubber, plastic and glue. More than 4,600 foods contain BHA. Many studies show it may cause cancer in humans exposed to it through what they eat.

BHA & BHT: What You Need to Know

Chances are at some point you have heard the acronyms BHA and BHT but if you are like me you are probably left scratching your head, asking, “what are they again?” BHA or Butylated hydroxyanisole is a preservative commonly found in some of your favorite foods as well as some of your favorite beauty products. BHT or Butylated hydroxytoluene typically goes hand in hand with BHA, accompanying it in many of the same products. Red flags were raised, when based on animal studies, the National Toxicology Program concluded that BHA “is reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen.” BHT, on the other hand, has been linked to both an increase and decrease of cancer in animals.

BHA and BHT Keep Foods Fresh, But Are They Safe?

Food manufacturers add butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) to foods like cereal and other dry goods to help the fats in these products stay fresher longer. Both BHA and BHT are antioxidants, which means they can provide some protection from the damaging effects of oxygen exposure. In a way, BHA and BHT are similar to vitamin E, which is also an antioxidant and is often used as a preservative as well.

BHA and BHT: A Case for Fresh?

Chances are, if you read labels, you’ve come across the acronym BHA or BHT or even both on the same label. They are preservatives commonly found in foods. What kinds of food? You name it: cereals, gum, fast food, processed potatoes, drink mixes, shortening, snack foods, and so on. The compounds are also found in food packaging, animal feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, and plastics.

BHA and BHT: What They Are and Why You Should Avoid Them in Your Cosmetics

Scientific studies have linked BHA and BHT to carcinogenic potential. Additionally, research indicates that these substances can mimic the body's natural estrogens, classifying them as endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors can interfere with hormone function, leading to various health issues.

Butylated hydroxytoluene

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a man-made chemical commonly used as a preservative in processed foods. Similar to the synthetic preservative butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) with which it is often used, BHT is an antioxidant that is soluble in oils and animal fats (it actually has greater solubility than does BHA). Both BHA and BHT are used to extend shelf life of processed foods by reducing the occurrence of oxidation and rancidity. Instead of being added directly to the food itself, BHT is usually added to the packaging material from where it vaporizes into the food during storage. Since it may be classified as an incidental food additive when used in this manner, it does not legally need to be listed with other ingredients on the food label.

Chemical Profile: BHT & BHA

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are closely related chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives. These can be found in many personal care products including lip and hair products, makeup, sunscreen, shampoos, deodorants, fragrance, and creams. BHT and BHA are also in many food products, such as cereals, snack foods, and processed meats, and can even be found in in the lining of food packages. BHT is also a toluene-based ingredient; toluene is part of the so-called “toxic trio” commonly found in nail polish and is linked to reproductive harm.

Food Ingredients to Avoid: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT)

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives used in many foods to prevent oxidation and extend shelf life. BHA and BHT are oxidants, which have been shown to form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in the body. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, considers BHA to be possibly carcinogenic to humans, and the State of California has listed it as a known carcinogen. BHA and BHT are found in packaging materials, cereals, sausage, hot dogs, meat patties, chewing gum, potato chips, beer, butter, vegetable oils, cosmetics and animal feed.

Many Personal Care Products Contain Harmful Chemicals. Here’s What to Do About It.

BHA is commonly used as a preservative in personal care products that contain oils or fats, such as lipsticks, eyeliners and moisturizers. What the research says: Studies in rats (the findings of which do not always apply to humans but can suggest areas for human research) have linked BHA to stomach cancer, damage to kidney cells, and to the development of reproductive systems in males and females.

The Dirty Dozen: BHA and BHT

Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, causing liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affecting lung function and blood coagulation. BHT can act as a tumour promoter in certain situations. Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, and prevent expression of male sex hormones, resulting in adverse reproductive affects.

The Truth About Food Additive BHA

Here's a question for you: What food additive does the Food and Drug Administration deem "generally recognized as safe," while the National Institutes of Health, says it's "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen?" Here's a hint: It's a preservative, and you can find it in (drum roll, please): potato chips, lard, butter, cereal, instant mashed potatoes, preserved meat, beer, baked goods, dry beverage and dessert mixes, chewing gum, and other foods. Oh, also: rubber, petroleum products, and, of course, wax food packaging. The molecule in question is butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and it appears in so many products because it's a potent antioxidant. How can an antioxidant prevent food from going bad? It all comes down to fat.