Which of the following is not an antioxidant?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Butylated hydroxybenzene
Antioxidants are food additives that slow down the oxidation of food. They are more reactive towards oxygen than the food itself, so they react with oxygen (or the free radicals it forms) first and keep fats and oils from turning rancid. The common ones are:
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), added to butter, oils and packaged foods.
Sulphur dioxide and sulphite, used as antioxidants in wine and beer, sugar syrups and cut, peeled or dried fruits and vegetables.
The name in option (4) is not that of any of these: the antioxidant is butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), not butylated hydroxybenzene. So option (4) is the one that is not an antioxidant.
Option (1) Butylated hydroxytoluene — An antioxidant. BHT is one of the most widely used antioxidants for fats and oils.
Option (2) Sulphur dioxide — An antioxidant. \( \ce{SO2} \) takes up oxygen; it is used in wine, beer and dried fruits.
Option (3) Sulphite — An antioxidant. Sulphites act in the same way as \( \ce{SO2} \).
Option (4) Butylated hydroxybenzene — Not an antioxidant. The antioxidant is butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), not butylated hydroxybenzene.
Note: The question is from beyond the NCERT textbook.