Principal Mark Duvall (Washington, DC) recently spoke with Chemical & Engineering News about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to reassess the safety of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a widely used food preservative used in in packaged foods including cereals, potato chips, frozen meals, and processed meats. FDA issued a request for information, seeking public comments by April 13, 2026.

Although BHA was already included on FDA’s published list of chemicals under as part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, this renewed focus follows an increase in activity at the state level. In, “FDA reassesses BHA safety as states target the preservative,” Mark, who co-leads B&D’s FDA Regulation, Food and Beverage, and Chemicals practices said, “I think this represents a stepped-up level of activity for the FDA,” but noted that “this is not a proposed rule to ban. This is a request for information.”

Beveridge & Diamond’s FDA Regulation, Consumer Products, and Chemicals practices work together to help clients navigate complex regulatory landscapes across industries. We counsel U.S. and multinational companies in the food, cosmetics, consumer goods, and chemicals sectors—whether manufacturing, distributing, transporting, or selling products—on compliance with FDA, MAHA, and other regulations; chemical, pesticide, and biotechnology statutes; environmental, health, and safety obligations; and voluntary product stewardship measures. Our teams provide strategic, business-focused advice across the full product lifecycle, helping clients remain competitive in evolving markets while managing regulatory risks and opportunities.