A problematic ingredient found in some soft drinks has now officially been removed from the market: The Food and Drug Administration has revoked its approval of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food following recent research suggesting that BVO may have adverse effects on human thyroid health.
BVO is a vegetable oil modified with elemental bromine. It is primarily used as an emulsifier in citrus sodas to prevent flavors from separating. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) was previously classified as a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) ingredient. However, since the 1970s, the FDA has implemented stricter regulations regarding the use of BVO.
Years of research have found evidence that bromine-containing compounds used as flame retardants can interfere with hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Endocrine disruptors are generally thought to increase the risk of many chronic health problems and may be more dangerous during certain times of hormone activity, such as puberty and pregnancy. Also, if too much bromine builds up in the body, it can cause acute neurological disorders, including seizures, and there are sporadic reports suggesting that drinking large amounts of soda may do this.
In 2013, due to increased public scrutiny of bromine and BVO, PepsiCo removed them from its Gatorade product line and switched to alternative emulsifiers with GRAS status. Following this decision, the FDA reevaluated the available data and initiated its own investigation of BVO in collaboration with the Division of Translational Toxicology at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The FDA announced the decision on Tuesday, but first proposed the action last November. The FDA’s latest study found that ingesting BVO actually increases bromine levels in tissues of the body, and that enough BVO could negatively impact thyroid health in rats. While it may take a large amount of BVO to harm a rat’s thyroid, the FDA says such an amount is closer to what humans would ingest in the real world than previously thought.
“Based on these data and the remaining safety questions, FDA can no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe,” the agency said in November.
The ban on BVO in food officially goes into effect next month. Many soft drink makers, including Coca-Cola, have already removed BVO from their citrus drinks, and BVO is banned as a food additive in other countries. But some brands in the U.S. still rely on BVO, including SunDrop, made by Keurig Dr Pepper Co.
