FDA to Reassess Longstanding Food Preservative in Comprehensive Safety Review

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a comprehensive review of Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), a synthetic preservative commonly used in packaged foods. This move is part of the agency’s broader initiative to reassess chemicals that have been permitted in the U.S. food supply for decades.

The FDA has issued a request for information regarding the usage of BHA by manufacturers, seeking to determine whether current scientific evidence supports its safety in food and food-contact materials. BHA acts as a synthetic antioxidant, preventing fats and oils from spoiling in various products, including foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed, thereby extending their shelf life.

This review is part of an FDA program announced in 2025, aimed at re-evaluating long-standing chemicals. Health advocates have long called for increased scrutiny of BHA, which the FDA identified for reassessment during its overhaul of the post-market chemical review process.

“This reassessment marks the end of the ‘trust us’ era in food safety,” stated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He emphasized that BHA has remained on the market despite being listed by the National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” based on animal studies.

The FDA first classified BHA as “Generally Recognized as Safe” in 1958 and approved it as a food additive in 1961. This preservative is commonly found in a variety of foods, including cereals, frozen meals, cookies, candy, ice cream, and certain meat products. Although its usage has declined over the years, regulators note that it remains prevalent in foods marketed to children.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that the agency plans to conduct similar reviews of other chemicals, including butylated hydroxytoluene and azodicarbonamide—a chemical utilized in yoga mats and as a dough conditioner.

In addition to these reviews, the FDA is working to tighten its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rules to enhance transparency and oversight of chemicals added to food without prior FDA approval.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

Topics
Trends

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a comprehensive review of Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), a synthetic preservative commonly used in packaged foods. This move is part of the agency’s broader initiative to reassess chemicals that have been permitted in the U.S. food supply for decades.

The FDA has issued a request for information regarding the usage of BHA by manufacturers, seeking to determine whether current scientific evidence supports its safety in food and food-contact materials. BHA acts as a synthetic antioxidant, preventing fats and oils from spoiling in various products, including foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed, thereby extending their shelf life.

This review is part of an FDA program announced in 2025, aimed at re-evaluating long-standing chemicals. Health advocates have long called for increased scrutiny of BHA, which the FDA identified for reassessment during its overhaul of the post-market chemical review process.

“This reassessment marks the end of the ‘trust us’ era in food safety,” stated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He emphasized that BHA has remained on the market despite being listed by the National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” based on animal studies.

The FDA first classified BHA as “Generally Recognized as Safe” in 1958 and approved it as a food additive in 1961. This preservative is commonly found in a variety of foods, including cereals, frozen meals, cookies, candy, ice cream, and certain meat products. Although its usage has declined over the years, regulators note that it remains prevalent in foods marketed to children.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that the agency plans to conduct similar reviews of other chemicals, including butylated hydroxytoluene and azodicarbonamide—a chemical utilized in yoga mats and as a dough conditioner.

In addition to these reviews, the FDA is working to tighten its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rules to enhance transparency and oversight of chemicals added to food without prior FDA approval.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

Topics
Trends