Adverse Reactions to the Antioxidants Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene

Chapter 32 Adverse Reactions to the Antioxidants Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene Richard W. Weber, Richard W. Weber National Jewish Health, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USASearch for more papers by this author Richard W. Weber, Richard W. Weber National Jewish Health, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USASearch for more papers by this author Book Editor(s):Dean D. Metcalfe MD, Dean D. Metcalfe MD Chief, Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USASearch for more papers by this authorHugh A. Sampson MD, Hugh A. Sampson MD Kurt Hirschhorn Professor of Pediatrics, Dean for Translational Biomedical Sciences, Director, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USASearch for more papers by this authorRonald A. Simon MD, Ronald A. Simon MD Head, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA Adjunct Professor, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USASearch for more papers by this authorGideon Lack MBBCh (Oxon), MA (Oxon), FRCPCH, Gideon Lack MBBCh (Oxon), MA (Oxon), FRCPCH Professor of Paediatric Allergy, King's College London Clinical Lead for Allergy Service, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 10 December 2013 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118744185.ch32Citations: 1 AboutPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShareShare a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Summary Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic antioxidants that are ubiquitous food additives found in foods containing fats or oils, as well as cosmetics and drugs. They continue to have provisional status on the GRAS list due to animal toxicology studies in animals. Usage appears to be increasing. Adverse reactions in humans are best substantiated in the skin. Delayed hypersensitivity contact dermatitis is well documented, but not common. The true incidence of antioxidant sensitivity in chronic urticaria is unknown. Older reports suggesting a 1–15% incidence of BHA/BHT intolerance in chronic urticaria reflect flawed study design. To date, there are no convincing published reports of human respiratory adverse responses. The true prevalence of adverse reactions to BHA and BHT remains unclear. Citing Literature Food Allergy: Adverse Reactions to Foods and Food Additives, Fifth Edition RelatedInformation