BHA in Dog Food

BHA in dog food is a synthetic chemical preservative used in small amounts as an antioxidant. But it is also linked to safety concerns and is a controversial ingredient and food additive.

Contents

What is BHA?

BHA is the abbreviation for Butylated HydroxyAnisole.

BHA is a strong antioxidant, it’s been used as a chemical preservative in fat-containing foods since around 1947.

BHA mainly consists of two substances called 3-BHA (3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole) and 2-BHA (2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole)^[1].

At room temperature, this food additive is a white-yellowish waxy substance.

Added to food or other products, this synthetic petrochemical inhibits reactions that would produce free radicals.

It stops the oxidation of fats, oils, or fat-soluble vitamins and helps extend the shelf-life of foods and ingredients.

One of its advantages is its thermal stability. Meaning, it remains active even after foods have been heated, baked, or fried.

By now, BHA has been added to dog foods for decades to preserve their freshness, flavor, and color.

BHA in dog treats or dog foods is often combined with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or ethoxyquin.

The FDA lists BHA as a chemical preservative that is generally recognized as safe for use in food. That is, as long as the total of antioxidants is not greater than 0.02% of fat or oil content.^[2].

In the EU it’s also approved as a food additive (E 320) and authorized as an additive in animal nutrition except for cats^[13].

A 2022 study found that there is basically no commercial dog food that doesn’t contain at least some BHA, BHT, TBHQ, or ethoxyquin^[8].

Surprisingly, BHA levels were higher in ‘super premium’ products compared to other types of dog food.

That’s likely because high-quality foods are usually extra high in fats and BHA is very effective in preventing them from going rancid.

IS BHA Bad For Dogs?

BHA in dog food is without a doubt a controversial ingredient.

BHA is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. It gets metabolized into other chemicals such as TBHQ and later secreted. In dogs, it doesn’t seem to accumulate in body tissue^[5,9].

But long-term intake of very high dietary levels or cumulative effects when combined with other chemicals can make it a cytotoxic, carcinogen, or endocrine disruptor^[7]. But as a potent antioxidant, it might also have some anticarcinogenic properties^[10].

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists BHA as possibly carcinogenic to humans^[3]. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services thinks BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen^[1].

In 2018 and 2019, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated the safety of BHA for animals^[6,9].

They concluded that 150 mg BHA/kg complete feed would be a safe dose for dogs (alone or together with BHT and ethoxyquin).

In several exposure studies, levels up to 2500 mg of BHA per kg of food produced no adverse effects in dogs^[9].

To be fair, BHA in dog food is only used in very small amounts that are probably harmless. But… why take a risk?

In conclusion, we recommend avoiding BHA in food for dogs although it’s nearly impossible if you want to feed a commercial diet.

Preservatives are a necessary evil in convenience dog food. But some manufacturers try to use less controversial alternatives like tocopherols or rosemary extract to preserve their products.

What is BHA?

BHA in Dog Food

IS BHA Bad For Dogs?

Further Reading