Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it's undertaking a review of the chemical preservative butylated hydroxyanisole to determine if the potentially carcinogenic substance is safe for continued use.
Health officials have aired concerns about BHA since its use was approved, and the National Institute of Health's National Toxicology Program describes it as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" based on studies using animals, according to the FDA.
The preservative, commonly referred to as BHA, is used to preserve food and as a food contact substance to prevent contamination for food packaging materials.
"BHA has remained in the food supply for decades despite being identified by the National Toxicology Program as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen' based on animal studies," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday.
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