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Red List Additive

BHA & BHT — Red List

BHA and BHT are antioxidant preservatives used to prevent rancidity. They are allowed in the US but more restricted in some regions.

Regulatory snapshot

United States
Allowed (GRAS) Permitted within specific limits. BHA is considered "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the NTP.
European Union
Restricted Permitted but with lower Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) levels and fewer approved food categories than the US.
United Kingdom
Restricted Aligned with EU limits and category restrictions.
Canada
Allowed Permitted in fats, oils, and some processed snacks with ppm limits.
Japan
Restricted Permitted in a very limited number of food categories compared to international standards.

Statuses summarized from public regulatory documents as referenced in the PRūF report. Verify with official regulators for updates.

Why it is on the Red List

  • Discussions focus on potential endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity signals in animal models.
  • Restrictions vary significantly by food category and use level across the globe.
  • PRūF flags these additives so users can evaluate their own risk tolerance for long-term preservatives.

Related pages

Ingredient page: BHTIngredient page: BHARed List hubPreservative Antioxidants categoryMixture Gap overviewRegulatory frameworks overview

Sources

  • PRūF Red Team Validation report — Internal synthesis provided by PRūF Labs (2025).

Summaries are educational and may be updated as regulations change.