A great way to start your day… A heaping bowl of BHT…

Butylated hydroxytolyene (BHT) or it’s less studied sister butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are “organic” lipophhilc’s or in layman’s terms, they protect food from lipid oxidation, which causes fats & oils to turn rancid. It’s most commonly used as a preservative in cereal, potato chips & chewing gum but is also added to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products & embalming fluid.

In the 1970’s, Dr. Benjamin Feingold studied BHT & established a link between this preservative & increased risk of stomach & liver tumors. After his study, some food industries voluntarily removed it from their products & replaced with the less studied BHA. Both BHT & BHA are considered carcinogens by the U.S Dept. of Health & Human Services. There are also concerns that BHT plays a role in damaging genetic material & red blood cells; impairs kidney, liver & brain functions & induces symptoms of chemical sensitivity.

Let’s back up a minute… BHT is commonly used as a preservative in cereal, but it’s also used in embalming fluid… WHAT????

Okay, now that I’ve gotten over my initial shock & have picked my bottom jaw up off the floor, let’s look at some products to avoid…

You could spend hours on the cereal aisle reading box labels & you’d start to go cross-eyed with all the BHT on the boxes.  Because there are so many, I suggest you read your families favorite cereal box labels & look for BHT or BHA. It’s usually the last ingredient listed.

General Mill®, Kellogg’s® & Post® all use BHT/BHA in almost all their cereals, but there are some they don’t. Here are some to avoid & some to try instead.

Instead of Chex® try Crispix®

Instead of Fruity Cheerios® try Cascadian Farms® “Fruitful O’s” or Very Berry Kix®

source: http://www.cascadianfarms.com/

Instead of Cinnamon Toast Crunch® try Mom’s Best Natural’s® “Toasted Cinnamon Squares” which our local Target carries.

source: http://www.momsbestnaturals.com/

Instead of Honey Smacks® try Malt-O-Meal® “Golden Puffs” in the bag.

Instead of Wheaties® try Newman’s Own® “Honey Flax”.

Instead of Quaker® Life try Barbara’s ® “Shredded Spoonfuls” (this is a favorite in our house).

source: http://www.barbarasbakery.com/

Instead of Cocoa Peebles® try Target’s Market Pantry® Cocoa Rageous.

source: http://www.target.com/

I could go on & on, but hopefully this little list has given you a good starting point in your hunt for cereal without BHT/BHA. Look for these good brands, Arrow Head Mills, Cascadian Farm's, Newman's Own, Mom's Best Naturals or Mother's Best, Enviro Kids by Nature's Path & even a few Post, Kellogg's & General Mills that don't have BHT/BHA.

Remember also to read the ingredients on the backs of cereal bars & granola bars. Both Special K® & Quaker® use BHT. And lastly, when you’re at the checkout & you reach for a pack of gum to help with that dragon breath, read the ingredients, more than likely BHT is added.  Try Lifesavers® instead.

Until the next post…