TBHQ

E number E319INS 319CAS 1948-33-0

Used as an antioxidant.

TBHQ, or tertiary butylhydroquinone, is a synthetic antioxidant used in frying oils and fatty snack foods. It is one of the more effective antioxidants for oils held at high temperature.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of TBHQ 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 172.185retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

25 food categories

highest permitted level 400 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 01.3.2 Beverage whiteners — 100 mg/kg
  • 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues — 100 mg/kg
  • 02.1.1 Butter oil, anhydrous milkfat, ghee — 120 mg/kg
  • 02.1.2 Vegetable oils and fats — 200 mg/kg
  • 02.1.3 Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats — 200 mg/kg
  • 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads — 200 mg/kg
  • 02.3 Fat emulsions mainly of type oil-in-water, including mixed and/or flavoured products based on fat emulsions — 200 mg/kg
  • 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7 — 200 mg/kg
  • 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet — 200 mg/kg
  • 05.1.4 Cocoa and chocolate products — 200 mg/kg
  • 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3, and 05.4 — 200 mg/kg
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 400 mg/kg
  • 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit), and sweet sauces — 200 mg/kg
  • 06.4.3 Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products — 200 mg/kg
  • 07.1.1 Breads and rolls — 200 mg/kg
  • 07.1.2 Crackers, excluding sweet crackers — 200 mg/kg
  • 07.1.3 Other ordinary bakery products (e.g. bagels, pita, English muffins) — 200 mg/kg
  • 07.1.4 Bread-type products, including bread stuffing and bread crumbs — 200 mg/kg
  • 08.2 Processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts — 100 mg/kg
  • 08.3 Processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products — 100 mg/kg
  • 12.2 Herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments (e.g. seasoning for instant noodles) — 200 mg/kg
  • 12.4 Mustards — 200 mg/kg
  • 12.5 Soups and broths — 200 mg/kg
  • 12.6 Sauces and like products — 200 mg/kg
  • 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries — 200 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 319and 24 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Synthesised from hydroquinone and isobutylene, both petroleum-derived.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
1948-33-0
InChIKey
BGNXCDMCOKJUMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem
CID 16043

Every name it appears under

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

E number

  • E319

INS number

  • 319

CAS registry number

  • 1948-33-0

As it appears in regulation

  • TBHQ

Other names

  • 1,4-Benzenediol (1,1-dimethylethyl)-
  • 1,4-Benzenediol, 2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-
  • 2-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-1,4-benzenediol
  • 2-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)-1,4-dihydroxybenzene
  • 2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)benzene-1,4-diol
  • 2-(tert-butyl)benzene-1,4-diol
  • 2-(tert-butyl)benzene-14-diol
  • 2-t-butyl hydroquinone
  • 2-t-Butyl-1,4-benzenediol
  • 2-t-Butylhydroquinone
  • 2-tert-Butyl(1,4
  • 2-tert-Butyl(1,4)hydroquinone
  • 2-tert-Butyl-1,4-benzenediol
  • 2-tert-butyl-hydroquinone
  • 2-tert-butylbenzene-1,4-diol
  • 2-tert-Butylhydroquinone
  • 2-tertiary-butylhydroquinone
  • Banox 20BA
  • BRN 0637923
  • Butylhydroquinone, t-
  • Butylhydroquinone, tert-
  • Butylhydroxyanisole O-Desmethyl Impurity
  • CCRIS 1447
  • E 319
  • Eastman MTBHQ
  • EYK
  • HSDB 838
  • Hydroquinone, t-butyl-
  • Hydroquinone, tert-butyl-
  • INS NO.319
  • INS-319
  • Mono-tert-butylhydroquinone
  • Mono-tertiarybutylhydroquinone
  • monotertiary butyl hydroquinone
  • MTBHQ
  • Sustane
  • Sustane TBHQ
  • t-BHQ
  • t-Butyl hydroquinone
  • t-butyl-hydroquinone
  • T-BUTYLHYDROQUINONE
  • TBHQ
  • TBHQ (Standard)
  • TBHQ/tert-Butylhydroquinone
  • Tenox 20
  • Tenox TBHO
  • Tenox TBHQ
  • Tenox TBHQTBHQ
  • tert-butyl hydroquinone
  • Tert-butyl hydroquinone TBHQ
  • tert-Butyl-1,4-benzenediol
  • tert-butyl-hydroquinone
  • tert-Butylhydrochinone
  • tert-Butylhydroquinon
  • tert-Butylhydroquinone
  • tert-Butylhydroquinone, 97%
  • tert.-butyl hydroquinone
  • Tertiary butylhydroquinone
  • Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)
  • Tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ)
  • tertiary-Butylhydroquinone

Systematic names

  • 2-Tert-butylbenzene-1,4-diol

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI0.7 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

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
  • gsfa 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/tbhq.json