E324 · Antioxidants

Ethoxyquin

Moderate risk

An antioxidant whose food use was withdrawn pending further safety assessment.

What it is

A synthetic antioxidant historically used to prevent fats from going rancid.

Historically used to extend shelf life or improve texture before modern safety evaluations.

Commonly found in

Its metabolites raised genotoxicity questions that were never fully resolved, which is why authorisation was not renewed.

Evaluated by food safety authorities and determined to be unsafe for general food use.

Region	Status	Notes
Australia & New Zealand FSANZ	Not approved	Not approved for general food use or historically banned due to safety concerns.
European Union EFSA / European Commission	Not approved	Not on the EU authorised list of food additives (Annex II).
United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration)	Not approved	Not approved for general food use or historically banned due to safety concerns.

Ethoxyquin (E324) was originally developed as a rubber preservative before being used in animal feed and spices.

A highly toxic chemical banned from use.

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Entry last reviewed 2026-08-05.