tbhq
TBHQ is a synthetic antioxidant in the same family as BHA and BHT. Where it appears, and how Bowlmark scores it today.
Also appears on labels as: tertiary butylhydroquinone · tert-butylhydroquinone · e319
What it is
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a synthetic antioxidant used to protect fats and oils, listed as TBHQ or E319. Chemically it belongs to the same tool kit as BHA and BHT, and it is more common in human snack foods than in pet food.
Why it's in pet food
The job is the same as every antioxidant preservative: keep fat from going rancid over a long shelf life. Most pet food brands that avoid BHA and BHT avoid TBHQ for the same reasons, so it is comparatively rare on modern labels.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
TBHQ currently carries no deduction: the additive pillar's preservative flags name BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin specifically. The flag list is versioned, advisor-tuned config — if TBHQ is ever added, this page changes with the rule, never ahead of it.
Common questions
Answers come from this entry and the scoring rules above — reviewed before publish, like everything else on this page. For anything about your own pet, your vet knows best.
What is TBHQ in pet food?
Tertiary butylhydroquinone — a synthetic antioxidant used to protect fats and oils, listed as TBHQ or E319. Chemically it belongs to the same tool kit as BHA and BHT, and it is more common in human snack foods than in pet food.
Is TBHQ common in pet food?
Comparatively rare on modern labels: most pet food brands that avoid BHA and BHT avoid TBHQ for the same reasons. The job it does — keeping fat from going rancid over a long shelf life — is the same as every antioxidant preservative.
Does Bowlmark deduct points for TBHQ?
Not currently: the additive pillar's preservative flags name BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin specifically. The flag list is versioned, advisor-tuned config — if TBHQ is ever added, this page changes with the rule, never ahead of it.
Foods that list tbhq
No food on the shelf lists tbhq yet. Scan a bag that does and its label joins the catalog — versioned from the day it arrives.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Tbhq in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/tbhq
- Engine
- Methodology engine v1.1.0 · config 13c99e2f
- Verified
- Last verified August 21, 2026
No stored score to stamp yet — the engine and config above are the ones a scan runs today.