The safety of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E 320), a synthetic antioxidant food additive, has been reevaluated by the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS). The acceptable intake (ADI) has been increased.
E320 is added to a number of food products, for example, edible fat, to stop it becoming rancid. It is also added to animal feed and cosmetics. The acceptable daily intake (ADI) has been increased from 0.5 mg/kg bw/day to 1mg/kg bw/day. The original ADI was set in 1989 due to its negative effects on the forestomach of rats.
However, humans do not have a forestomach and data from tests run on animals without forestomach did not show any gastric epithelial hyperplasias, papillomas or carcinomas.