BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE (BHA).BHA, which
is a white or slightly yellow waxy solid in its pure form,
is widely used in the food industry to prevent oxida-
tion in butter, lard, meats, baked goods, beer, vegeta-
ble oils, potato chips and other snack foods, nuts and
nut products, dry mixes for beverages and desserts,
and many other foods. BHA is also used in cosmetics,
particularly lipsticks and eye shadows. It is effective as
an antioxidant because oxygen reacts preferentially
with it rather than with the fats or oils containing it,
thereby protecting them from spoilage. Although the
FDA considers BHA a GRAS substance when its
content is no greater than 0.02% of the total fat con-
tent of the product by weight (200 ppm), the National
Toxicology Program (NTP) listed it in 2005 as ‘‘rea-
sonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen’’ on the
basis of experimental findings in animals. The NTP
stated that the maximum content of BHA in various
foods that it sampled ranged from 2 to 1000 ppm.
BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE (BHT).BHT is sim-
ilar to BHA in its structure and uses as an antioxidant,
although it is ordinarily a white powder rather than a
waxy substance at room temperature. BHT is often
added to packaging materials as well as directly to fats,
oils, shortening, and similar products. It was first
approved by the FDA as a food preservative in 1954.
BHT has been banned in Japan, Romania, Sweden,
and Australia though not in the United States.
Although the use of BHT is controversial, it has not
been shown conclusively to be carcinogenic as of 2007.Chelating agents
Chelating agents work by binding (or sequester-
ing) metal ions (usually iron or copper) in certain
foods in order to prevent the metals from oxidizing
and speeding up spoilage of the food.
DISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID
(EDTA).EDTA is used in food processing to bindman-
ganese, cobalt, iron, or copper ions in order to retard
spoilage. It is sometimes added to eye drops to reinforce
the action of other preservatives. It is also used in
dentistry to wash out teeth during root canal proce-
dures and in medicine to treat mercury or lead poison-
ing. Last, EDTA is added to soft drinks containing both
ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium benzoate to pre-
vent the formation of benzene, which is a carcinogen.
POLYPHOSPHATES.Polyphosphates are chelating
agents with limited solubility in cold water that are
used as antibrowning agents in dips and washes for
fresh-peeled fruits and vegetables, in low concentra-
tions of 0.5 to 2 percent. They are also used to soften
water and to remove mineral deposits from beverageproduction equipment. Polyphosphates are consid-
ered nontoxic.
CITRIC ACID.Citric acid, which is found naturally
in citrus fruits, can be used not only as a flavoring
agent and antioxidant in foods but also as a chelating
agent in soaps and detergents. By chelating the miner-
als that are present in hard water, citric acid allows the
cleaning agents to produce foam without the need for
added water softeners. Allergic reactions to citric acid
are rare; it is regarded as a safe food additive by all
major international food regulatory organizations as
well as by the FDA, because excess citric acid is easily
metabolized by the body and excreted.Precautions
Government regulations of artificial
preservatives
Artificial preservatives, like other food additives,
are strictly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). In 1958 an amendment
regarding all categories of food additives was attached
to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. The
1958 amendment stipulates that a food manufacturer
must apply for FDA approval before adding a new
preservative to food, before using a different amount
of a previously approved preservative, or before using
an approved preservative in a different way. The appli-
cation must show:
That the amount of the preservative that will be eaten
with the food, or the amount of any substance
formed in or on the food as a result of using the
preservative, is a safe amount.
That the preservative will not have a harmful cumu-
lative effect in the diet.
Whether the preservative is carcinogenic or has other
toxic effects in humans or animals.
In addition, the application for approval must
show that the preservative does not deceive consumers
by changing the appearance of food. For example,
sulfites may not be added to meat because they restore
its red color, thus making it look fresh when it may not
be in fact.Consumer precautions
PURCHASING FOOD.Allergic reactions to artifi-
cial preservatives (or coloring or flavoring additives)
in food may involve the skin (flushing, itching, or
rashes), the digestive system (nausea, vomiting, or
diarrhea), the respiratory system (wheezing, cough,
or runny nose), or the muscles (cramping or aching
sensations). Some doctors think that reactions to foodArtificial preservatives