Dang heads up on this compound anon.

tert-Butylhydroquinone

Where can you find TBHQ? 

Chances are good that you may have not heard of TBHQ. However, if you check the labels of several pantry staples, you may find TBHQ listed as an ingredient. This common food additive has been used for decades to preserve the safety and nutritional quality of various everyday food products.

However, in the last few years, many have raised concerns over the potential health risks posed by TBHQ. If you're concerned about the safety of this food additive, know that it's safe as long as you take it in the recommended amounts. Of course, if you still wish to reduce your intake of TBHQ, you can switch to products that contain several other natural alternatives.

Oxidation causes food products to lose their quality, flavor, color, and nutritional content. In some cases, it can even turn edible items toxic. As an antioxidant food additive, TBHQ removes the oxygen content from the fat and oil molecules and thus keeps the foods containing them fresh for a long time.

TBHQ stands for tertiary butylhydroquinone, which is also called t-butylhydroquinone. It's an artificial compound made by adding a butyl group to the molecular structure of hydroquinone (an agent used for lightening skin and developing photographs). It has a whitish-tan color, crystalline texture, and a very subtle odor. 

Generally, t-butylhydroquinone is preferred by manufacturers for its:

Low cost

Solubility in oils and water

Chemically stability 

Reliably high effectiveness

General lack of effect on the color, flavor, or odor of food products

Good antimicrobial and antioxidant effects

While going through the food labels, you may often find TBHQ together with another chemical called butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). This is because these compounds are very closely related. T-butylhydroquinone is formed in your body from the metabolism of BHA.

TBHQ has many uses. It has been found to be very effective as an antioxidant in animal fats and vegetable oils. You can most often find it in food products that need to be preserved while being transported to refrigerators and freezers or displayed in stores for a long time. Some of those products include:

Edible oils

Soft drinks

Cereals

Packaged dinners

Most processed foods (noodles, crackers, microwave popcorn, chicken nuggets)

Non-organic, frozen fish products

Dairy products (cheese and milk)

Certain soy milk brands

https://www.medicinenet.com/how_harmful_is_tbhq/article.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tert-Butylhydroquinone