E319Antioxidant
Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq)
A man-made chemical that is a type of phenol.
Written from English Wikipedia1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Study type not stated
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Concern
Cell and DNA damage2
TBHQ caused cell and DNA damage when eaten in high doses.
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-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 172.185
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European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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 checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 3,467 products on Open Food Facts that list tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq).
- Sriracha sauce mayo Flying Goose Brand · 455 ml 6 additives
- Curry Flavour YumYum · 60 g 12 additives
- Peanut Butter Cups minis unwrapped Reese's · 90 g 4 additives
- Top Ramen Chicken Flavor Nissin · 3 oz 8 additives
- Mi Goreng Fry Noodles Indomie · 80 g 9 additives
- Cheez-It Cheez-It · 2 x 24 oz (1 lb 8 oz) 680 g / 48 oz (3 lb) 1.36 kg 3 additives
References
- 1Tert-Butylhydroquinone. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
- 2Esazadeh K, Ezzati Nazhad Dolatabadi J, Andishmand H, et al. Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of tert-butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxyanisole and propyl gallate as synthetic food antioxidants. Food Sci Nutr. 2024;12(10):7004-7016. doi:10.1002/fsn3.4373