Food additive databasePreserves color and qualityChecked 2026-09-27
BHA / BHT (antioxidants) BHA・BHT
Food additiveSimilar rules abroadIARC 2B
- Purpose
- prevents oils from oxidizing (antioxidant)
- On the label
- “酸化防止剤（BHA）” (antioxidant (BHA)), “酸化防止剤（BHT）” (antioxidant (BHT))
Flagged additives are marked when you use the Ingredient Checker (choose others).
In Japan
- May be used in fats and oils, butter, frozen seafood, and so on.
- In tests in which rats were given high doses, tumors were reported in the forestomach (an organ humans do not have).
Under stricter rules abroad
Category: Similar rules abroad
- IARC classifies BHA as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (2B) (BHT is Group 3).
- The EU also permits them as E320 (BHA) and E321 (BHT), but the foods they may be used in are limited.
Related pages
Sources
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) (Japanese)
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer): agents classified
Last checked 2026-09-27. Rules change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
The categories are not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies.