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Ingredient register

BHA

Limit Carcinogen Both food and personal care E320 INS E320 CAS 25013-16-5

Decode Label flags BHA as a moderate concern in both food and personal care (carcinogen). It appears in 1 of the 893 published products we have analysed (0.1%).

The concern

Synthetic antioxidant — possible carcinogen (IARC Group 2B)

BHA is listed as a possible human carcinogen by IARC based on animal studies. It is also a suspected endocrine disruptor. While still permitted in India and the US, it is restricted in some countries. Preference for natural antioxidants (tocopherols, rosemary extract) is advisable.

Most relevant to

Anyone eating or using this regularly

Cited authority

IARC Group 2B; National Toxicology Program

How common it is in this catalogue

Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.

1 of 893 published products 0.1%

By category

Food 1

Hazard classification

IARC IARC Group 2B Carcinogen route: oral

Identity

Canonical name
Butylated hydroxyanisole
CAS number
25013-16-5
E number
E320
INS number
E320

Also appears on labels as

Butylated Hydroxyanisole Butylhydroxyanisole Butylated Hydroxy Anisole INS 320

Questions

Is BHA safe?

IARC: IARC Group 2B. Why it is flagged: Synthetic antioxidant — possible carcinogen (IARC Group 2B). Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in both food and personal care. It appears in 1 of the 893 published products we have analysed (0.1%).

How common is BHA in Indian packaged products?

Decode Label found BHA in 1 of 893 published products (0.1%), most often in Food.

Which authorities have classified BHA?

IARC — IARC Group 2B.

Who should be most careful with BHA?

Anyone eating or using this regularly.

Products containing BHA

1 published product, each with its own full analysis.

Malkist Chocolate Cheese Flavoured Cracker Biscuit

Related ingredients

Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.

Coal Tar Erythrosine Formaldehyde Potassium Bromate Sodium Nitrate Sodium Nitrite

Method and limits

  • Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 893 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
  • Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
  • A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
  • No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
  • Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 28 September 2026.
  • Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.