Butylated hydroxytoluene

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Stomach cancer risk⁴

  In people, eating butylated hydroxytoluene in foods like mayonnaise showed no clear link to stomach cancer.

• Concern

  Skin rash flare-ups⁸

  In two people with long-term hives, eating butylated hydroxytoluene brought the itchy rash back.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Uterine fibroid growth¹³

  In lab studies, butylated hydroxytoluene made rat fibroid cells grow faster and build up more tissue.

• Concern

  Liver enzyme changes¹⁴

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

• Concern

  Possible body targets¹⁵

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

• Concern

  DNA damage in cells¹⁶

  In lab studies, butylated hydroxytoluene breakdown products damaged DNA in cells, with some needing copper or NADH.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Cancer risk from food additives¹¹

  Studies show butylated hydroxytoluene in food does not raise cancer risk and may even help prevent it.

How it’s made and used

• How much gets into the body²

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

• How the body handles it³

  In people, butylated hydroxytoluene reached much lower levels in the blood than in rats.

• Daily intake in children⁵

  Butylated hydroxytoluene may be eaten in amounts above the recommended daily limit, especially by children aged 1 to 6.

• Food additive levels⁶

  In Korean foods, butylated hydroxytoluene levels were much lower than the maximum limits.

• Daily intake limits⁷

  Brazilians' average daily intake of butylated hydroxytoluene from food stays below the recommended limit.

• Daily intake of a preservative⁹

  BHT was found in a few foods, and people's daily intake stayed well below the recommended limit.

• Acceptable daily intake¹⁰

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

• Food packaging chemicals¹²

  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 one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. 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.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them. IARC rates whether something can cause cancer at all, not how likely it is at the amounts in food.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1995

  Acceptable daily intake: up to 0.3 mg per kg of body weight.

• WHO cancer agency (IARC), 1987

  Not enough evidence to say whether it causes cancer in people (Group 3).