What is "ethoxyquin"

n. A quinoline-based antioxidant used as a food preservative and a pesticide.

Ethoxyquin is a quinoline-based antioxidant used as a food preservative in certain countries and a pesticide (under commercial names such as "Stop-Scald") to control scald on pears after harvest. It is commonly used as a preservative in pet foods to prevent the rancidification of fats. Ethoxyquin is also commonly used in spices to prevent color loss due to oxidation of the natural carotenoid pigments.

There has been some speculation that ethoxyquin in pet foods might be responsible for multiple health problems. To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only found a verifiable connection between ethoxyquin and buildup of protoporphyrin IX in the liver, as well as elevations in liver-related enzymes in some animals, but there are no known health consequences from these effects. In 1997, the Center for Veterinary Medicine has asked pet food manufacturers to voluntarily limit ethoxyquin levels to 75 ppm until further evidence is reported. However, most pet foods that contain ethoxyquin have never exceeded this amount.

Ethoxyquin has been shown to be slightly toxic to fish.

Ethoxyquin is not permitted for use in Australian foods nor is it approved for use within the European Union. It is an approved food additive in the United States.

Ethoxyquin is allowed in the fishing industry in Norway as a fat stabilizer and is therefore commonly used in food pellets fed to farmed salmon.

Ethoxyquin is commonly used in pellets fed to chickens on chicken farms.