E320: Nutrition, Pros & Cons
E320, commercially known as Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), is a synthetic food additive used primarily as an antioxidant to prevent oils, fats, and packaged foods from undergoing lipid oxidation and turning rancid.
Health conditions
Pros
- Highly effective at preventing lipid oxidation, thereby extending the shelf life and quality of fat-containing foods under FSSAI regulatory standards. [FSSAI]
Cons
- Regular intake of synthetic antioxidants has been scrutinized in toxicological studies for potential long-term cellular stress when consumed in high quantities. [PubMed]
Key nutrients
- Synthetic Antioxidant — Serves purely a functional preservative role in food processing and offers no nutritional value.