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The US and international formulas are not the same— here's exactly what changed and why.
General Mills USA
| Ingredient | 🇺🇸 US Version | 🌍 International | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bht | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
The same company makes both versions — but they use different formulas depending on where the product is sold. In the EU, UK, and Canada, regulations require either banning certain additives outright or mandating warning labels (e.g., "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" for certain synthetic dyes).
Rather than print warning labels, most manufacturers reformulate the product for international markets — using natural colorants like paprika extract, beetroot concentrate, or spirulina instead of petroleum-derived synthetic dyes.
The US FDA has a different standard: it deems additives "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) based on older safety data, while EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) applies stricter precautionary principles and requires manufacturers to prove safety rather than assume it.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) prohibits BHT from breakfast cereals, aligning with the EU's position. Australian Cheerios therefore cannot legally contain BHT in their formulation, while the US version of certain Cheerios varieties may include it. Australia's joint food standards body with New Zealand explicitly restricts these preservatives, creating a three-jurisdiction alignment (EU, UK, Australia/NZ) against BHT in cereals that leaves the US as an outlier.
Find clean brands without these ingredients — organized by category.