TBHQ refers to Tertiary Butyl Hydroquinone, an antioxidant synthetic compound developed for stabilizing different vegetable oils, food and fats. It retards the development of rancidity due to oxidative deterioration in many food products and helps in prolonging their shelf life. It may be used as an ingredient or a preservative sprayed directly to the food items or applied to the carton or packaging.
Besides being used as an aging inhibitor it is used as a stabilizer of unsaturated fats, which has proven outstanding, especially in inedible animal fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils. It can also be advantageous when used in nuts, essential oils, buffer fat and in food packaging materials. It is used as an ingredient in various kinds of fast foods, crisps and crackers. It is also an ingredient in many pet food brands and in cosmetic products, varnish, resins and lacquers.
TBHQ, or Tertiary Butyl Hydroquinone, as a food preservative, helps keep the nutritional qualities of the foods that it protects.
It is claimed that the side-effects and risks of TBHQ as a preservative outweighs its benefits. It is a form of butane and the consumption of high doses of butane can be harmful. TBHQ may be the cause of delirium, ringing in the ears, nausea, collapse, and vomiting. There have also been claims that TBHQ causes hyperactivity in children, rhinitis, dermatitis as well as asthma.