Butylated hydroxyanisole

Butylated hydroxyanisole is notable for histamine, salicylate and nickel. Clear on FODMAPs, lactose, gluten, fructose, oligosaccharides, sorbitol, sucrose, tyramine and oxalates.

Yes — Butylated hydroxyanisole is high in histamine. BHA (E320) is the phenolic antioxidant used in fats, chewing gum and instant potato, and it appears in pseudoallergen-free diets as a possible liberator on weak, largely observational evidence. Worth knowing rather than avoiding on principle - and worth knowing that it is the most-studied of the three, which is why it carries the higher flag. The Swiss list rates it 2 of 3 and marks it L, its letter for liberators of mast cell mediators — a presumed reason rather than a measurement.

Butylated hydroxyanisole contains moderate levels of salicylate. BHA is a phenolic antioxidant added to fats to stop them going rancid, and the phenolic ring is why salicylate-sensitive people react. It does not contain salicylate.

Butylated hydroxyanisole contains moderate levels of nickel. Butylated hydroxyanisole is a synthetic antioxidant for fats. Nothing in the molecule contains nickel, but nickel is the workhorse catalyst of industrial organic synthesis, and a trace of the catalyst survives into the product. For this additive there is no legal nickel ceiling at all. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.