Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Function: Antioxidant
E320 is the European food-additive number for Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is an antioxidant used as a food additive.
What is E320 used for?
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all antioxidants (E-numbers).
Is E320 safe or restricted?
E320 is approved for use in the EU but has drawn regulatory attention — its conditions of use or acceptable daily intake have been re-examined by EFSA or equivalent bodies. Forkin classifies it as “Regulatory attention” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E320 vegan or vegetarian?
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E320?
E320 appears in 593 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in instant noodles, chewing gum and pastry.
- Instant Noodles59
- Chewing Gum58
- Pastry31
- Cornflakes15
- Crackers14
- Soup14
- Cakes13
- Chocolate Candy13
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E320 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E320
- What is E320?
- E320 is the E-number for Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is an antioxidant used as a food additive.
- What is E320 used for?
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E320?
- E320 appears in 593 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in instant noodles, chewing gum and pastry. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E320 vegan or vegetarian?
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E320) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E320 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E320 is approved for use in the EU but has drawn regulatory attention — its conditions of use or acceptable daily intake have been re-examined by EFSA or equivalent bodies. Forkin classifies it as "Regulatory attention" and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E320 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.