❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun steps to review and potentially ban BHA, a food additive used in processed foods, citing concerns over its potential link to cancer.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the food industry.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with the review process set to begin immediately across the U.S.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This reassessment marks the end of the ‘trust us’ era in food safety.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
🎯IMPACT: The review could lead to changes in the use of BHA in processed foods and aligns with broader efforts to remove harmful chemicals from the food supply.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that it is initiating a safety review of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a food additive commonly used in processed foods such as frozen meals, bread, and breakfast cereals. BHA has been in use for decades, having been approved as a food additive in 1961 to prevent fats and oils from spoiling. However, concerns over its potential carcinogenic effects have prompted the agency to take a closer look.
The FDA’s decision follows earlier findings from the 1990s by the National Toxicology Program, which identified BHA as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” based on animal studies. California has also listed BHA as a known carcinogen under Proposition 65. While there is limited research on its effects in humans, studies from the 1980s and 1990s have linked BHA to cancer in animals. The FDA is now requesting public and industry input on the use of BHA and its safety profile.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. welcomed the move, stating, “This reassessment marks the end of the ‘trust us’ era in food safety.” Kennedy has been vocal about reducing harmful chemicals in the food supply as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. Last year, he proposed phasing out artificial dyes in foods, citing their potential link to behavioral problems in children. The FDA has since approved natural alternatives such as beetroot red and spirulina extract for use as color additives.
The move is also receiving praise from prominent figures in the field of nutrition. Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition at New York University, notes that BHA has been on the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s “avoid” list for years. “It’s about time the FDA got to it,” she said. Nestle added that while toxicology studies on animals have provided some insights, human studies on BHA would be difficult to conduct due to ethical and logistical challenges. She expressed interest in seeing how the FDA evaluates the additive’s safety.
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