Butylated Hydroxytoluene or BHT is a stabiliser that can be found in cosmetic products. It acts as an antioxidant that helps maintain the properties and performance of a product as it is exposed to air (to avoid a change in odor, in color, in texture.). To identify BHT in our products, take a look at the ingredients list on packaging. It can be found under the acronym BHT.
What are the side effects of BHT in cosmetics?
Health Impacts of BHT Products – Some animal studies have shown BHT as an endocrine disruptor that has toxic effects on the liver, lungs, kidneys, blood system, and reproductive system, As an endocrine disruptor, it can impact testosterone levels as well as affect sperm quality,
Is butylated hydroxytoluene safe in cosmetics?
The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded in December 2021 that ‘ BHT is safe as an ingredient up to a maximum concentration of 0.8% in other leave-on and rinse-off products.’
What does BHT mean in skincare?
Abstract – BHT is the recognized name in the cosmetics industry for butylated hydroxytoluene. BHT is used in a wide range of cosmetic formulations as an antioxidant at concentrations from 0.0002% to 0.5%. BHT does penetrate the skin, but the relatively low amount absorbed remains primarily in the skin.
- Oral studies demonstrate that BHT is metabolized.
- The major metabolites appear as the carboxylic acid of BHT and its glucuronide in urine.
- At acute doses of 0.5 to 1.0 g/kg, some renal and hepatic damage was seen in male rats.
- Short-term repeated exposure to comparable doses produced hepatic toxic effects in male and female rats.
Subchronic feeding and intraperitoneal studies in rats with BHT at lower doses produced increased liver weight, and decreased activity of several hepatic enzymes. In addition to liver and kidney effects, BHT applied to the skin was associated with toxic effects in lung tissue.
BHT was not a reproductive or developmental toxin in animals. BHT has been found to enhance and to inhibit the humoral immune response in animals. BHT itself was not generally considered genotoxic, although it did modify the genotoxicity of other agents. BHT has been associated with hepatocellular and pulmonary adenomas in animals, but was not considered carcinogenic and actually was associated with a decreased incidence of neoplasms.
BHT has been shown to have tumor promotion effects, to be anticarcinogenic, and to have no effect on other carcinogenic agents, depending on the target organ, exposure parameters, the carcinogen, and the animal tested. Various mechanism studies suggested that BHT toxicity is related to an electrophillic metabolite.
- In a predictive clinical test, 100% BHT was a mild irritant and a moderate sensitizer.
- In provocative skin tests, BHT (in the 1% to 2% concentration range) produced positive reactions in a small number of patients.
- Clinical testing did not find any depigmentation associated with dermal exposure to BHT, although a few case reports of depigmentation were found.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel recognized that oral exposure to BHT was associated with toxic effects in some studies and was negative in others. BHT applied to the skin, however, appears to remain in the skin or pass through only slowly and does not produce systemic exposures to BHT or its metabolites seen with oral exposures.
Is Butylated hydroxytoluene banned in Europe?
Pillsbury Pie Crust – Pillsbury brings the convenience of a ready-made pie crust to kitchens across the country. However, this product is banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and parts of Europe because it contains both BHA and BHT. The substances are suspected to be carcinogenic and have been linked to impaired blood clotting. Internet Archive Book Images // Flickr
What is the alternative to BHT?
5. Rosemary Extract – Rosemary can be used as an alternative to BHA and BHT, preservatives which are likely carcinogenic. BHA and BHT are used to prevent oils in foods from oxidizing and becoming rancid. Rosemary extract serves the same purpose in foods like potato chips, meats, and vegetable oils, but without the health risks.
Are BHA and BHT banned in the UK?
Banned Ingredients #4 — BHA and BHT – BHA and BHT are popular man-made antioxidants used in dry mixes, cereals, and dehydrated potato products to preserve them and increase shelf life. They’re also found in product packaging, These are possible carcinogens and endocrine disruptors — meaning that they can alter the normal function of your hormones and lead to disease.
What products contain BHT?
Sources – Instead of being added directly to the food itself, BHT is usually added to the packaging material from where it can vaporize into the food during storage. Since it may be classified as an incidental food additive when used in this manner, it does not legally need to be listed with other ingredients on the food label.
Processed foods most likely to feature BHT include chewing gum, active dry yeast, frozen convenience foods, prepared cereal products, prepared snacks, dried and processed meat, potato flakes, enriched rice products and shortening. BHT is also a chemical preservative used in animal feeds and drugs; therefore consumption of non-organic meats and dairy products may be another vector for exposure.
In addition to its use in food preservation, BHA is also used in the manufacture of rubber, tires and petroleum and is an ingredient in some cosmetics.
What ingredient is banned in Europe?
U.S. food additives banned in Europe: Expert says what Americans eat is “almost certainly” making them sick By Holly Williams, Erin Lyall February 20, 2023 / 7:13 PM / CBS News London — From baguettes to focaccia, Europe is famous for its bread. But there’s one ingredient conspicuously missing: Potassium bromate.
- It’s a suspected carcinogen that’s banned for human consumption in Europe, China and India, but not in the United States.
- In the U.S., the chemical compound is used by some food makers, usually in the form of fine crystals or powder, to strengthen dough.
- It is estimated to be present in more than 100 products.
“There is evidence that it may be toxic to human consumers, that it may even either initiate or promote the development of tumors,” professor Erik Millstone, an expert on food additives at England’s University of Sussex, told CBS News. He said European regulators take a much more cautious approach to food safety than their U.S.
counterparts. Asked if it can be said with certainty that differences in regulations mean people in the U.S. have developed cancers that they would not have developed if they’d been eating exclusively in Europe, Millstone said that was “almost certainly the conclusion that we could reach.” It’s not just potassium bromate.
A range of other chemicals and substances banned in Europe over health concerns are also permitted in the U.S., including Titanium dioxide (also known as E171); Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) (E443); Potassium bromate (E924); Azodicarbonamide (E927a) and Propylparaben (E217).
Millstone, who’s spent almost half a century researching food and agriculture science, said most Americans were likely completely unaware that they were being exposed on a daily basis to substances in their food viewed as dangerous in Europe. “They probably just think, ‘Well, if it’s available or it’s in the store, it’s probably fine,'” he said.
In a statement to CBS News, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said all food additives require “pre-market evaluation” and “regulations require evidence that each substance is safe at its intended level of use before it may be added to foods.” “Post-approval, our scientists continue to review relevant new information to determine whether there are safety questions and whether the use of such substance is no longer safe,” the agency added.
McNamara has no plans to ever move back home, and she told CBS News that food safety was “for sure” a part of that decision. In a statement to CBS News, the FDA said that when used properly, potassium bromate converts into a harmless substance during food production.The FDA acknowledged, however, that not all of the compound used in any given recipe may convert during the production process, but that control measures were utilized to minimize the amount in final products.
First published on February 20, 2023 / 7:13 PM © 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. : U.S. food additives banned in Europe: Expert says what Americans eat is “almost certainly” making them sick
What are examples of BHT?
Butylated hydroxytoluene – Butylated hydroxytoluene is an additive used as an antioxidant in foods, such as packet cake mixes, potato crisps, salted peanuts, and dehydrated mashed potatoes. In March 1990 the Danish Product Register listed 440 products containing butylated hydroxytoluene; the content was below 50 ppm in 66% of these products; the main categories were paints/lacquers and hardeners for paints, glues, and fillers,
The safety of butylated hydroxytoluene, and of a number of other food additives, has been critically reviewed in a Danish report, Skin Two patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria had exacerbations when they were challenged under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions with butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene; after elimination of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene from their diets, there was marked improvement of the frequency, severity, and duration of the urticaria,
Occupational exposure to butylated hydroxytoluene has been associated with vitiligo, and it has been used as a skin lightener in black subjects, Immunologic Butylated hydroxytoluene in chewing gum should be considered as a possible cause of unexplained food allergy,
• Butylated hydroxytoluene in chewing gum caused a disseminated urticarial eruption in a young woman. An adverse drug reaction was ruled out, and the only recent dietary change had been regular use of chewing gum containing butylated hydroxytoluene. The skin lesions showed signs of vasculitis, with a perivascular cellular infiltrate, heavy extravascular deposition of fibrinogen, and intraendothelial deposits of IgM, C′9, C3, and C9.
She stopped using the gum and within 1 week the eruption had subsided. After an oral provocation test with butylated hydroxytoluene the cutaneous signs returned within several hours. Tumorigenicity Although butylated hydroxytoluene can induce tumors in rats, others have suggested that it may protect tissues against the carcinogenic effects of many different substances.
Why is TBHQ banned in Japan?
Japan: Executives Responsible for Damage Caused by Concealing Use of Unauthorized Food Additive (Apr.2, 2008) Shareholders of a Japanese company recently sued the company’s former president and directors, alleging that they caused damage to the company by concealing the use of an unauthorized food additive for pork buns and continuing to sell the inventory of buns containing the additive.
The company was blackmailed by a person who found out that the bun ingredient containing the unauthorized food additive was used in one of the company’s designated food factories in China and who demanded that the company sign a contract to make his own food factory one of the bun suppliers. When the media reported it, the company’s sales declined significantly.
The Osaka High Court found the former president and directors responsible and ordered two of them to pay approximately 5.3 billion yen (US$53 million) and the others to pay approximately 565 million yen (US$5.65 million). The Supreme Court rejected the appeals from both sides on February 12, 2008.
The unauthorized food additive is TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), which has been approved as a food preservative in the United States and other nations. The reason that TBHQ has not been approved in Japan is that no one has requested the approval, not because of health concerns. ( Dasukin kyû keiei jin 13 nin ni 53 oku en no baishô meirei kakutei, YOMIURI ONLINE, Feb.12, 2008 (on file with author).) Publications of the Library of Congress are works of the United States Government as defined in the and therefore are not subject to copyright and are free to use and reuse.
The Library of Congress has no objection to the international use and reuse of Library U.S. Government works on, These works are also available for worldwide use and reuse under CC0 1.0 Universal.
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Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate. Umeda, Sayuri. Japan: Executives Responsible for Damage Caused by Concealing Use of Unauthorized Food Additive,2008. Web Page. https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2008-04-02/japan-executives-responsible-for-damage-caused-by-concealing-use-of-unauthorized-food-additive/.
Umeda, S. (2008) Japan: Executives Responsible for Damage Caused by Concealing Use of Unauthorized Food Additive, Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2008-04-02/japan-executives-responsible-for-damage-caused-by-concealing-use-of-unauthorized-food-additive/.
Umeda, Sayuri. Japan: Executives Responsible for Damage Caused by Concealing Use of Unauthorized Food Additive,2008. Web Page. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,,
Article (Aug.29, 2016) An amendment to Japan’s Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (No.57 of June 4, 1976, Japanese Law Translation) was promulgated on June 3, 2016. (Act No.60 of 2016,.
Contributor: Umeda, Sayuri Date: 2016-08-29
Article (Aug.30, 2018) The Diet (Japan’s Parliament) passed an act in June 2018 to amend the Civil Code and other laws (Act No.59 of 2018, KANPOU Extra Ed. No.
Contributor: Umeda, Sayuri Date: 2018-08-30
: Japan: Executives Responsible for Damage Caused by Concealing Use of Unauthorized Food Additive
Does BHT cause tumors?
Health and Environmental Hazards – BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin, The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as a possible human carcinogen, The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has also listed BHA as a Category 1 priority substance, based on evidence that it interferes with hormone function,
- Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, causing liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affecting lung function and blood coagulation,
- BHT can act as a tumour promoter in certain situations,
- Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, and prevent expression of male sex hormones, resulting in adverse reproductive affects.
Under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, BHA is listed as a chemical of potential concern, noting its toxicity to aquatic organisms and potential to bioaccumulate, Likewise, a United Nations Environment Program assessment noted that BHT had a moderate to high potential for bioaccumulation in aquatic species (though the assessment deemed BHT safe for humans),
What health issues does butylated hydroxyanisole BHA cause?
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) can cause cancer in animals. It may also affect the way hormones act in the body.
Does Vaseline contain BHT?
This product contains BHT and tocopheryl acetate.