Tert-butyl Hydroquinone
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 2 indexed US food products.
3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine
How common is Tert-butyl Hydroquinone vs other flagged additives?
Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives - Tert-butyl Hydroquinone highlighted.
Safety Assessment
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.
What the Data Says About Tert-butyl Hydroquinone
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone currently appears in 2 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. Regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups like CSPI weigh cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk -- two related but distinct questions.
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone serves one or more technical functions in food manufacturing, stabilization, flavor, preservation, or structural role, which explains its presence across multiple product categories in our database. Inspection and outbreak records frequently trace back to control failures around functional additives, whether through batch contamination, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling mismatches that trigger recall classifications by the FDA.
No specific concern flags are attached to Tert-butyl Hydroquinone in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.
Safety Profile at a Glance
| Source | Classification | Year |
|---|---|---|
| FDA SAFFA | Not listed | 2024 |
| CSPI Chemical Cuisine | Not rated | 2024 |
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 3/5 | 2026 |
| Product footprint | 2 products | OpenFoodFacts |
FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.
Products Containing Tert-butyl Hydroquinone
A sample of 2 of the 2 indexed products containing Tert-butyl Hydroquinone, with each product's overall safety score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tert-butyl Hydroquinone safe to eat? ▼
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone has a safety score of 3/5. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.
What products contain Tert-butyl Hydroquinone? ▼
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone is found in 2 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.
What does Tert-butyl Hydroquinone do in food? ▼
Tert-butyl Hydroquinone serves various technical functions in food manufacturing and processing.
Citation notes
Regulatory status from FDA SAFFA; safety ratings from CSPI Chemical Cuisine; product presence from Open Food Facts. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial.Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Ingredient figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.