摘要：In 1982, Dr Ito et al. reported that butyl hydroxy anisol (BHA : food additive) induced cancer for the forestomach of F344 rat. Four countries (Japan, United States, United Kingdom and Canada) and EC countries had meetings respectively and there experts evaluated the safety of all of the phenolic antioxidants including BHA. Each meeting concluded that as BHA could be a promoter the threshold might exist, and that the evaluation of the risks arising from the replacement of BHA was necessary. On the basis of the conclusions obtained at expert meetings, each country (excluding Japan) decided it unnecessary to take an administrative action on BHA. When a chemical was proved as a carcinogen in animal experiment, every government took an administrative action banning the chemical. However, BHA plays an important role in changing administrative principle on carcinogens. From now on, developed countries will adopt the evaluation system, based on estimating risk and benefit of a carcinogen, in taking an administrative action on it, and the studies concerning existence of threshold of a promoter and mechanism of development of cancer will be forwarded by each country.
