BHT

This is the United States listing for butylated hydroxytoluene, a synthetic antioxidant used to stop fats going rancid in cereals, snack foods and chewing gum, and in packaging materials.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of BHT by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.115retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Synthesised from para-cresol and isobutylene, both petroleum-derived.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
InChIKey
NLZUEZXRPGMBCV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem
CID 31404

Every name it appears under

61 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

CAS registry number

  • 128-37-0

As it appears in regulation

  • BHT

Other names

  • 2,6-Bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol
  • 2,6-Di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol
  • 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-cresol
  • 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol
  • 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-p-cresol
  • 2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol
  • 4-Methyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol
  • Advastab 401
  • Agidol
  • Agidol 1
  • Alkofen BP
  • Antioxidant 264
  • Antioxidant 29
  • Antioxidant 30
  • Antioxidant 4
  • Antioxidant 4K
  • Antioxidant DBPC
  • Antioxidant KB
  • Antioxidant MPJ
  • Antox QT
  • Antrancine 8
  • Bht (food grade)
  • BUKS
  • Butylhydroxytoluene
  • CAO 1
  • CAO 3
  • Catalin antioxydant 1
  • Catalin CAO-3
  • Chemanox 11
  • Dalpac
  • DBPC
  • Deenax
  • Dibutylhydroxytoluene
  • Impruvol
  • Ionol
  • Ionol (antioxidant)
  • Ionol 1
  • Ionol CP
  • Ionole
  • Kerabit
  • Nonox TBC
  • Parabar 441
  • Paranox 441
  • Phenol, 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methyl-
  • Stavox
  • Sumilizer BHT
  • Sustane BHT
  • Swanox BHT
  • Tenamen 3
  • Tenamene 3
  • Tenox BHT
  • Topanol
  • Topanol O
  • Topanol OC
  • Toxolan P
  • Vanlube PC
  • Vanlube PCX
  • Vianol
  • Vulkanox KB

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/bht.json