The published position
IARC classifies BHA as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).
IARC Monographs Vol. 40
Where it stands in law
West Virginia
Banned · retail sale · 1 August 2025
West Virginia HB 2354
A federal judge preliminarily enjoined the retail provisions in December 2025. The school provisions are unaffected.
Banned · school meals · 1 August 2025
West Virginia HB 2354
None of this moves a score. A law tells you what a shop may sell where you live, which is a different question from what is in the packet, and mixing the two would make two people’s scores for the same product incomparable.
How much of it counts
The penalty for this additive scales with how much of it can be in the product. Where a label bounds it, at a declared percentage or under a “less than 2%” clause, the penalty shrinks accordingly. Where nothing bounds it, the penalty stands in full. The rule is here.