FDA Pulls Food Additive in Citrus Sodas Over Health Risks

A problematic ingredient in some soft drinks is now officially being taken off the market. The Food and Drug Administration has revoked its authorization that allows brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to be used in food, following recent research suggesting that it could potentially harm people’s thyroid health.

BVO is vegetable oil that’s been modified with the element bromine. It has primarily been used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored sodas, helping keep the flavoring from separating away. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) was previously classified as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredient. However, since 1970, the FDA has implemented stricter regulations regarding its use.

Studies over the years have found evidence that bromine-containing compounds, such as those used as flame retardants, can possibly disrupt hormones produced by the thyroid. Endocrine disrupters in general are thought to raise the risk of many chronic health problems and may be more dangerous during certain hormone-driven periods of life, such as puberty or pregnancy. Too much bromine can also build up in the body, causing acute neurological problems like seizures, and there have been isolated reports suggesting that this can happen through drinking lots of soda.

In 2013, the increased public scrutiny over bromine and BVO led to PepsiCo removing it from its line of Gatorade products, switching it with another GRAS-approved emulsifier. Following this decision, the FDA began to reassess the available data and conduct its own research on BVO, in conjunction with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Division of Translational Toxicology.

The FDA announced the decision Tuesday, though it first proposed the move last November. Their latest studies have found that oral exposure to BVO can indeed raise levels of bromine in the body’s tissues, and that BVO in high enough doses can negatively affect the thyroid health of rats. While it might take a lot of BVO to harm the thyroid in rats, such doses are closer to the amount that people can get in the real world than previously thought, according to the FDA.

“Based on these data and remaining unresolved safety questions, the FDA can no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe,” the agency stated in November.

The revoking of BVO in food will officially take place next month. Many soft drink companies had already pulled BVO from their citrus drinks, including Coca-Cola, and BVO has been banned as a food additive in other countries. But there are still some brands that rely on BVO in the U.S., such as Sun Drop, produced by Keurig Dr Pepper.