Butylated hydroxytoluene (E321)

No. Butylated hydroxytoluene (E321) is not one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as processed or ultra-processed, so on its own it doesn't raise a product's NOVA group.

What it is

Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.

A product that contains it can still be ultra-processed for other reasons: 129 of the 144 products here that contain butylated hydroxytoluene (E321) (90%) are in group 4 because of other ingredients or additives.

Function

Antioxidant: Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about butylated hydroxytoluene (E321) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Butylated hydroxytoluene (E321) appears in 144 of the 40,000 products on this site (0%).

Breakfast cereals 32 of 1,868 products
Sugar-free chewing gum 27 of 76 products
Extruded cereals 15 of 373 products
Confectioneries 11 of 1,731 products
Cereal flakes 6 of 332 products
Prepared meats 4 of 881 products

Products containing butylated hydroxytoluene (E321)

Showing the 60 most popular of 144.

How the NOVA classification works