Thanksgiving staple eaten by millions that's not sold in other countries because of two ingredients linked to cancer

A Thanksgiving staple in the US has been slammed by a leading food safety expert for its ingredients which have been linked to cancer and banned abroad.

Stove Top Stuffing, which was launched in 1972 and now manufactured by Kraft Heinz, contains butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). As many as 50million households will serve it as a side this Thanksgiving.  

BHA is a synthetic petrochemical used widely as a preservative in cereals and other dry goods. BHT is used in similar products and helps fats in foods stay fresher longer.

BHA is considered a carcinogen and has been shown to promote tumor growth and impair blood clotting. It also acts as an endocrine disruptor and is associated with the underdevelopment of the reproductive system.

BHA and BHT both pose a threat to the circulatory system and BHT can impact testosterone levels, as well as affect sperm quality.

It may also cause liver enlargement, inflammation in the lungs and kidney damage.

While common in American foods, the substances are severely limited in Europe. Both have been banned from use in the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Ex-USDA food chief Dr Darin Detwiler told DailyMail.com that 'controversy over Stove Top Stuffing - a beloved Thanksgiving side dish banned in many countries - perfectly illustrates the challenges and contradictions in global food safety standards.'

'In the United States, the 'Generally Recognized as Safe' (GRAS) system allows companies to self-determine whether food additives are safe. 

'This system, designed to streamline innovation, often bypasses rigorous, independent safety testing. 

'In contrast, countries in the European Union (EU) and Canada require far stricter pre-market approval processes for food additives, prioritizing consumer safety over industry convenience.'

While in the US, Stove Top Stuffing contains BHA and BHT, for European, Canadian and other markets, Dr Detwiler says 'similar products exclude these chemicals, replacing them with safer alternatives or shorter shelf lives.'

Stove Top Stuffing is only distributed in the United States.

The FDA considers BHA and BHT to be safe for use in processed foods in limited amounts, with the approved levels being a maximum level of 0.02 percent, or 200 parts per million.

A Kraft Heinz company spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the 'FDA has extensively reviewed the ingredients and deemed them safe for people to eat' and 'for over 50 years, Stove Top Stuffing has been a trusted favorite on family meal tables'. 

Supporting Kraft Heinz, Sarah Gallo, the senior vice president of product policy for the Consumer Brands Association, told DailyMail.com that the trade organization works 'closely with the FDA on ensuring ingredients in consumer packaged goods products are safe for consumers.'

Ms Gallo continued: 'The food and beverage industry adheres to the rigorous science and evidence-based safety standards established by the FDA that stringently protect America's food supply to deliver the products consumers depend on every day. 

'Both BHA and BHT have been deemed safe through FDA's review program.'

Ms Gallo expressed her concern around advocacy groups slamming products such as Stove Top Stuffing as 'demonizing shelf ready foods could limit access to and cause avoidance of nutritious foods resulting in decreased diet quality, increased risk of food-borne illness, greater food waste and exacerbated health disparities'.

However, Dr Detwiler says more needs to be done to ensure tighter regulation around food products in the US. 

He said: 'As seen with Stove Top Stuffing, some manufacturers only reformulate products when forced by foreign regulations. 

'This underscores the need for companies to adopt higher internal standards rather than relying solely on regulatory requirements. 

'Transparency, independent testing, and voluntary elimination of controversial additives are steps that companies can - and should - take to rebuild consumer trust.'