Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a widely used food preservative. It is an antioxidant that reacts with oxygen free radicals, and thus, slows down the oxidation process of certain food components that can alter taste or color. When BHA is ingested, it is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and metabolized. BHA has been shown to have both positive and negative effects on the body. By adding various concentrations of BHA to rat hepatocyte cultures, the release of cytochrome c was monitored to determine the magnitude of BHA that causes apoptosis of the hepatocyte cells. The subacute magnitudes of BHA were administered to the hepatocyte cultures for various durations of time to determine their effect. This gave an optimal magnitude and duration of subacute levels of BHA in order to reduce the release of cytochrome c that leads to hepatocyte apoptosis.