BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE AND BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE INTOLERANCE
The average North American diet relies heavily on convenience foods in the form of processed and packaged meals, usually rich in fats and oils. In order to keep these foods safe for the consumer, antioxidants are used extensively to prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid and giving foods an objectionable taste and odor. Butylated hydroxyanisole and Butylated hydroxytoluene are two of the most powerful antioxidants available for this purpose. Although most people have no trouble in consuming these chemicals, a few people develop symptoms when they eat them. This chapter will provide these sensitive people with the information they require to understand how their body reacts to these chemicals, where they are to be found, and how to safely avoid them in their daily diet, without any risk of nutritional deficiency.
Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene do not occur in nature. For the information of readers who like to know exactly what the chemicals they are consuming are made from, Butylated Hydroxyanisole is a mixture of 2- and 3-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-phenol, made from p-methoxyphenol and isobutene. Butylated Hydroxytoluene is made from p-cresol and isobutylene. It was originally developed as an antioxidant for use with petroleum and rubber products. Both products are very effective antioxidants, and for most people they have proven to be safe as food additives.
Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene are often used in combination with other antioxidants such as propyl gallate (where this is allowed), citric acid, or phosphoric acid. The fact that a large percentage of the antioxidant is lost during the processing of food (potato chips and similar snack foods lose 90% of the antioxidant; cookies lose about 35%) means that the quantity consumed is actually much less than what was added to the product during its manufacture. However, when Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene are used in the same product, 20 times the usual amount of Butylated Hydroxyanisole is stored in the body’s fat.
Sensitivity to Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Extremely high doses of Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene in experimental animals have consistently resulted in enlargement of the liver. Both kidney and liver functions have been affected. In addition, adverse effects on the brain have resulted in abnormal behavior patterns in experimental animals.
In humans, Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene have been reported to cause rashes and hives in sensitive individuals. Those most frequently affected are aspirin-sensitive, so it is thought that the intolerance to Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene may be due to inhibition of the cyclo-oxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, similar to that suspected for salicylate sensitivity. Some reports have implicated Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene in childhood hyperactivity disorders.
In 1978 the United Nations Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives suggested that daily ingestion of these chemicals should not exceed 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (e.g., 34 mg for a 68 kg adult). However, intake should be much lower for individuals who are sensitive to these chemicals. Their goal should be to eliminate Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene by reading food labels carefully and avoiding all possible sources of these preservatives. In many countries, Butylated Hydroxytoluene is not permitted in foods intended specifically for babies and young children. Butylated Hydroxyanisole is not permitted for food use in Japan.
Food Products Containing
Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Foods likely to contain Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene are
♦ Vegetable oils
♦ Margarines
♦ Foods cooked in or containing vegetable oils, such as
- Potato chips
- Nut meats
- Doughnuts
- Pastries and pie crusts
- Breakfast cereals
- Baked goods
- Salted roasted peanuts
♦ Dehydrated potatoes
♦ Dry breakfast cereals
♦ Dried fruits
♦ Dry yeast
♦ Packaged convenience foods
Additional foods that may contain Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene are
| ♦ Beverages | ♦ Lard and shortening |
| ♦ Ice cream | ♦ Animal fats |
| ♦ Candies | ♦ Unsmoked dry sausage |
| ♦ Chewing gum | ♦ Enriched rice |
| ♦ Gelatin deserts | ♦ Cake mixes |
| ♦ Soup bases | ♦ Glace fruits |
| ♦ Potato and sweet potato flakes | ♦ Dry dessert mixes |
Butylated Hydroxyanisole and/or Butylated Hydroxytoluene may be added to the packaging of cereals, crackers, and other convenience foods to help maintain freshness of the food. Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene will appear on the label if the food contains the preservatives or if they are present in the packaging materials.
The Butylated Hydroxyanisole – and Butylated Hydroxytoluene-Restricted Diet
People who have, or suspect they have, a sensitivity to Butylated Hydroxyanisole or Butylated Hydroxytoluene should follow the guidelines for restricting their intake of these chemicals that are provided in Table.
Table The Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene restricted diet
| Type of Food | Foods Allowed | Foods Restricted |
| Milk and Milk
Products |
• Plain milk, buttermilk
cream, sour cream, and yogurt • All plain cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, Quark • Ice cream made with allowed ingredients • Butter |
• All prepared dairy products made
with unknown fats or oils, such as - Cheese foods - Cheese spreads Cream sauces • Drink mixes • Dry dessert mixes • Ice cream |
| Breads and
Cereals |
• Any pure flour or grain
• Any plain fresh bread, buns, biscuits, pizza labeled “preservative-free” • Check with baker or manufacturer whether oil or packaging contains Butylated Hydroxyanisole and/or Butylated Hydroxytoluene • Most fat-free baked goods should be safe, but check. • Homemade breads, buns, baked cookies, pies, etc., made with allowed ingredients |
• All other grains and baked goods,
including those fried in fat, such as doughnuts • Pie crusts • Pastries • Cake and other baking mixes • Dry dessert mixes |
| • Breakfast cereals with allowed ingredients and
packaging, including - Puffed rice and wheat - Post Bran Flakes -All plain grains and their flakes -Original Cream of Wheat - Red River Cereal -Pure oat bran • Read all cereal labels. |
• All others | |
| • Crackers:
- Homemade Melba toast - Grissol Melba Toast - RyVita Snackbread - Wasa Light or Golden Crackers - Almost all rice cakes • Read cracker labels. |
• All others | |
| • Plain pasta
• Plain and wild rice • General Foods Minute Rice • All homemade cereals, crackers, and pasta dishes with allowed ingredients |
• Enriched rice
• Read labels on all packaged pasta meals and rice meals. |
|
| Vegetables | • All pure fresh, frozen, and
canned vegetables and their juices • V-8 Vegetable Cocktail • Homemade french fries |
• Prepared vegetable dishes with
unknown fats or oils • Salads with commercial salad dressings • Some commercial french fries • Potato and sweet potato flakes • Dehydrated potatoes |
| Fruit | • All pure fresh, frozen, or
canned fruit and juices • Pure fruit ices, sorbets, and ice pops |
• Prepared fruit dishes with
unknown fats or oils • Glace fruits • Dried fruits |
| Meat, Poultry
and Fish |
• All pure fresh or frozen
meat, poultry, or fish. • Fish canned in broth or water, not in oil. • Processed meat made with allowed ingredients • Read all meat labels. |
• Processed with unknown
oils or fats • Unsmoked dry sausage • Processed meats with restricted ingredients |
| Eggs | • All | • All prepared dishes with restricted foods. |
| Legumes | • All plain legumes except
those listed at right • Pure, natural peanut butter |
• Prepared legume dishes with
unknown fats or oils. • Some regular peanut butter. |
| Nuts and Seeds | • All plain nuts and seeds
• Pure almond butter and sesame seed butter (tahini) |
• All with restricted ingredients,
especially snack nuts and seeds |
| Fats and Oils | • Pure butter and cream
• Vegetable oils • Homemade salad dressings with allowed ingredients • Lard and meat drippings • Homemade gravy |
• All fats with Butylated Hydroxyanisole and/or Butylated Hydroxytoluene
• Margarine • Shortening • Lard • Most commercial salad dressings • Prepared gravy |
| Spices and Herbs | • All fresh, frozen, or dried
herbs and spices |
• Seasoning packets with Butylated Hydroxyanisole
and/or Butylated Hydroxytoluene |
| Sweets and
Sweeteners |
• Sugar, honey, maple syrup
• Maple syrup, corn syrup • Icing sugar • Pure jams, jellies, marmalades, and conserves made with allowed ingredients • Plain artificial sweeteners • Homemade sweets with allowed ingredients • Pure baking chocolate and cocoa |
• Syrups and sauces with
restricted ingredients • Commercial candies • Commercial icings and frostings • Commercial chocolates |
| Other | • Baking powder
• Baking soda • Cream of Tartar • Fleishmann’s Quick-Rise Yeast • Distilled vinegar • Baking chocolate • Pure cocoa • Plain gelatin |
• Dry dessert mixes
• Cake and baking mixes • Most dry yeast • Glace and dried fruit • Chocolate candy, sprinkles, and syrup • Flavored gelatin • Soup bases • Chewing gum |
This post has been viewed 597 times.