FDA to ban BVO, additive found in some fruity sodas and sports drinks

The vegetable oil is modified with bromine, a natural chemical element that can be used as an alternative to chlorine in swimming pools and is often used as a fire retardant. It has also been used in sedatives.

BVO is an ingredient in some drinks

BVO is an ingredient in a handful of sports drinks and sodas, but according to the FDA, “today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.” Sugary soda consumption in the United States has also been falling for more than two decades. Perhaps the best-known drink in the United States that still contains BVO is Sun Drop citrus soda, as well as some store-brand orange, pineapple and citrus-flavored sodas from Giant, Food Lion, Walmart and others.

The popular drink Mountain Dew does not contain BVO. In 2014, Coca-Cola said it would remove the ingredient from its Powerade drinks and the rest of its products. PepsiCo has also removed BVO from its products, including Gatorade since 2019.

Keurig Dr Pepper, the maker of Sun Drop soda, which has a mixture of lemon, lime and sweet orange flavors, told The Washington Post last year that it was already planning to phase out the ingredient. “We have been actively reformulating Sun Drop to no longer include this ingredient and will remain compliant with all state and national regulations,” a spokesperson previously said. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The FDA’s decision to ban brominated vegetable oil in food is a victory for public health,” Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement. “But it’s disgraceful that it took decades of regulatory inaction to protect consumers from this dangerous chemical.”

The D.C.-based nonprofit urged consumers to “remain vigilant and carefully read ingredient labels to avoid BVO.” It added that “choosing fresh whole foods and drinking water instead of soda or juice can help minimize exposure to BVO and other chemicals.”

BVO is banned in several countries

The state of California banned BVO in food in October, along with three other food additives, becoming the first state to do so. BVO is also banned in the European Union, India and the United Kingdom, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group.

BVO can leave “residues of bromine triglycerides in body fat and fat in the liver, heart, and brain,” according to CSPI. “Excessive bromine accumulation in the body results in bromine toxicity, which causes damage to the central nervous system, headaches, nausea, memory loss, and loss of coordination,” it said. There may also be some impact on the thyroid, it added.

BVO has been used as a food ingredient since the 1920s. The FDA said it began regulating BVO as a food additive in 1970. It was “used in small amounts to keep the citrus flavoring from floating to the top in some beverages,” the agency said, and manufacturers were required to list BVO in the ingredients list if used.

“Reassessing the safety of food ingredients as new, relevant data become available, is a priority for the FDA and a key part of our food safety mission,” it said this week.

The ban will take effect Aug. 2, and companies will be given one year to “reformulate, relabel, and deplete the inventory of BVO-containing products before the FDA begins enforcing the final rule,” it said.