Tertiary-butylhydroquinone
This page explains what Tertiary-butylhydroquinone is, where it shows up in restaurant food, and which ingredient reports connect to it.
- Concern
- Moderate Concern
- Function
- Antioxidant
- Updated
- 2026-03-18
What this is
Tertiary-butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, is a synthetic preservative added to fats and oils to prevent them from going rancid. It is a type of phenol used to extend the shelf life of many processed foods, including fast-food frying oils, crackers, chips, and frozen meats. The FDA permits its use up to a limit of 0.02% of a food's fat content. While effective at preserving food quality, a growing body of scientific research has raised concerns about its potential effects on the immune system, particularly regarding allergic reactions and response to infections.
Critical Endpoints
The key endpoints experts review in safety assessments (critical endpoints). This is not a prediction of harm.
Restaurant Usage
3 linked ingredient reports
State Actions
0 current actions
No current state action is listed for this ingredient in the policy tracker.
Sources
4 visible sources