Additives
TBHQ (E319): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Hazardous
Antioxidant · Synthetic antioxidant
Synthetic antioxidant. IARC classifies it as a Group 3 substance (inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity), however the US National Toxicology Program has found pre-neoplastic lesions in animal studies. Banned in Japan. At high doses causes nausea, vomiting, and ringing in the ears. Some researchers link it to immune effects. Avoid where possible.
- Category
- Antioxidant — Synthetic antioxidant
- Typically used in
- Fast food cooking oil, crisps, crackers, microwave popcorn, chicken nuggets
- Regulatory status
- Approved EU/USA. Banned Japan. NTP animal study concerns.
- Also listed as
- Tertiary Butylhydroquinone
- Concerns flagged
-
Carcinogenicity concernGenotoxicity concernNeurotoxicity concernReproductive-health concern
Scrannr flags TBHQ automatically when you scan a barcode.
Sources
Where this comes from
- EFSA (2016) — Statement on the refined exposure assessment of tertiary-butyl hydroquinone -E 319- http://dx.doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4363
- Pandya et al. (2025) — Exploring the Mechanisms of BHA, BHT, and TBHQ in Hepatotoxicity, Nephrotoxicity, and Neurotoxicity from the Perspective of Network Toxicology https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11988534/
- Maisanaba et al. (2024) — Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of tert-butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxyanisole and propyl gallate as synthetic food antioxidants https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521724/
Products
Products containing TBHQ
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