Open Food Labels. Search 352 ingredients⌘K

E321Antioxidant

Butylated hydroxytoluene

What the research shows

Prototype

Concerning

in animal and lab studies only

3 of 3 health findings on this page · See the findings

A preservative used in food.

It stops food from spoiling by acting as an antioxidant.

Written from English Wikipedia1

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Animal and lab studies only

  • Concern

    Uterine tumor growth5

    In lab studies, butylated hydroxytoluene made uterine tumor cells grow faster, but scientists do not yet know whether this happens in people.

  • Concern

    Liver enzyme changes6

    Butylated hydroxytoluene raised levels of certain liver enzymes in human liver cells.

  • Concern

    Possible body targets7

    Computer studies suggest butylated hydroxytoluene may affect the body by binding to proteins, but this is not proven.

How it’s made and used

  • Chemical exposure in urine2

    Butylated hydroxytoluene was found in 88% of urine samples from people in five countries.

  • acceptable daily intake3

    Scientists set a safe daily amount for butylated hydroxytoluene, though some children may eat more than that.

  • Food packaging chemicals4

    Butylated hydroxytoluene can move from plastic packaging into food, especially during heating, freezing or microwaving.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Regulatory status

Checked Sep 2026

Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.

How we check

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 5,769 products on Open Food Facts that list butylated hydroxytoluene.

  • All Bran Buds kellogs · 1,05 kg 3 additives
  • Shredded Wheat & Bran Post · 525 g 1 additive
  • Post Shredded Wheat Post · 425 g 1 additive
  • Shredded Wheat Post · 18 oz 1 additive
  • Oatmeal Squares Quaker · 500 g 4 additives
  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch General Mills · 12oz 4 additives

References

  1. 1Butylated hydroxytoluene. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
  2. 2Wang W, Kannan K. Quantitative identification of and exposure to synthetic phenolic antioxidants, including butylated hydroxytoluene, in urine. Environ Int. 2019;128:24-29. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.04.028
  3. 3EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS). Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene BHT (E 321) as a food additive. EFSA J. 2012;10(3):2588. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2588
  4. 4Kang K, Chang Y, Choi JC, Park SJ, Han J. Migration Study of Butylated Hydroxytoluene and Irganox 1010 from Polypropylene Treated with Severe Processing Conditions. J Food Sci. 2018;83(4):1005-1010. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14104
  5. 5Chiang YF, Chen HY, Ali M, et al. The Role of Cell Proliferation and Extracellular Matrix Accumulation Induced by Food Additive Butylated Hydroxytoluene in Uterine Leiomyoma. Nutrients. 2021;13(9). doi:10.3390/nu13093074
  6. 6Price RJ, Scott MP, Giddings AM, et al. Effect of butylated hydroxytoluene, curcumin, propyl gallate and thiabendazole on cytochrome P450 forms in cultured human hepatocytes. Xenobiotica. 2008;38(6):574-86. doi:10.1080/00498250802008615
  7. 7Tortosa V, Pietropaolo V, Brandi V, Macari G, Pasquadibisceglie A, Polticelli F. Computational Methods for the Identification of Molecular Targets of Toxic Food Additives. Butylated Hydroxytoluene as a Case Study. Molecules. 2020;25(9). doi:10.3390/molecules25092229