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E324

Ethoxyquin

What the research shows

Concerning

in animal and lab studies only

A preservative used in some pet foods and spices.

It slows fats going rancid and stops spices losing colour.1

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

What research says

Animal and lab studies only

  • Concern

    Liver and kidney health3

    In animal studies, ethoxyquin dimer changed liver enzymes and showed signs of liver and kidney effects.

  • Concern

    Chromosome breaks in cells4

    In lab studies, ethoxyquin caused breaks and other changes in human chromosomes.

How it’s made and used

  • Farmed salmon residues2

    Ethoxyquin and its main breakdown product can still remain in farmed salmon after the required cleaning period.

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.

Regulatory status

Checked Sep 2026

Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.

How we check

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 88 products on Open Food Facts that list ethoxyquin.

  • CHICKEN & CHEESE TAQUITOS CASA MAMITA 11 additives
  • Paprika fumé Mccormick 1 additive
  • TACO SEASONING MIX HOT & SPICY OLD EL PASO · 1 oz 2 additives
  • PAPRIKA compliments · 145 g 1 additive
  • Paprika Club house 1 additive
  • Taco Seasoning Mix Wick Fowler's 1 additive

References

  1. 1Ethoxyquin. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
  2. 2Bohne VJ, Lundebye AK, Hamre K. Accumulation and depuration of the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin in the muscle of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Food Chem Toxicol. 2008;46(5):1834-43. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2008.01.028
  3. 3Ørnsrud R, Arukwe A, Bohne V, Pavlikova N, Lundebye AK. Investigations on the metabolism and potentially adverse effects of ethoxyquin dimer, a major metabolite of the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin in salmon muscle. J Food Prot. 2011;74(9):1574-80. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-10-547
  4. 4Blaszczyk A, Osiecka R, Skolimowski J. Induction of chromosome aberrations in cultured human lymphocytes treated with ethoxyquin. Mutat Res. 2003;542(1-2):117-28. doi:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2003.09.004