This paragraph discusses the FDA’s ban on brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food products in the United States. BVO is a potentially toxic ingredient that has been used in certain sodas and other foods since the 1920s. Recent research has shown that BVO may be toxic to the thyroid gland in high doses. Based on these findings, the FDA has decided to withdraw regulations allowing the use of BVO in food, effective August 2, 2023. Most companies have already reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, but some products still contain it, including certain soft drinks like Sun Drop and some private label sodas from retailers such as Walmart. The FDA ban on BVO is being praised by health advocates as a victory for public health.This paragraph discusses the FDA’s ban on brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food products in the United States. BVO is a potentially toxic ingredient that has been used in certain sodas and other foods since the 1920s. Recent research has shown that BVO may be toxic to the thyroid gland in high doses. Based on these findings, the FDA has decided to withdraw regulations allowing the use of BVO in food, effective August 2, 2023. Most companies have already reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, but some products still contain it, including certain soft drinks like Sun Drop and some private label sodas from retailers such as Walmart. The FDA ban on BVO is being praised by health advocates as a victory for public health.
While it’s hardly news that most sodas aren’t good for your health, many of us are willing to accept the risks of the occasional sweet treat. But as it turns out, there are concerns that go beyond the high sugar content—and now officials are taking a stand. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to implement a nationwide ban on brominated vegetable oil, a potentially toxic ingredient found in certain popular sodas.
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In a July 2 update, the agency announced it would withdraw regulations allowing the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food.
BVO, a vegetable oil modified with the element bromine, has been used as an ingredient in foods since the 1920s, according to the FDA’s website. The agency considered BVO generally recognized as safe (GRAS) until the late 1960s, when concerns arose about its safety. Around that time, the ingredient was removed from the FDA’s “GRAS list,” and the agency “continued to evaluate new information about the potential health effects of BVO as it became available.”
Over the years, more research has been published that questions the safety of BVO. But it was a recent study conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the once popular ingredient.
This study, conducted on rats and published in 2022, showed that BVO may be toxic to the thyroid gland.
“The study data suggest that oral exposure to BVO is associated with elevated tissue bromine levels and that at high exposure levels the thyroid gland is a target organ for potential adverse health effects in rodents,” the FDA said on its website.
Based on these results, the agency was able to conclude that “the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe,” the new update said.
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The new BVO ban will officially go into effect on August 2.
“The compliance date for this rule is one year after the effective date. This will provide companies with an opportunity to review the composition, labeling, and inventory of products containing BVO before FDA begins enforcement of the final rule,” the agency said.
But most companies have removed the ingredient from their products since the FDA began regulating this food additive in 1970.
“Over the years, many beverage companies have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient. Today, very few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.” Jim Jonesthe FDA’s deputy commissioner for food said in a November 2023 statement.
There are still dozens of products that use BVO as an ingredient, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that has been working for years to ban BVO and other toxic additives.
Most of the foods that still contain BVO are soft drinks. This list includes (but is not limited to) Sun Drop and some private label soft drinks from retailers such as Walmart. A Walmart spokesperson told Reuters that the company is aware of the new FDA ban and is “working with private label suppliers to reformulate products.”
“At this time, there are only a few Walmart private labels that contain BVO, and we expect to change their formulations prior to the FDA compliance date,” the spokesperson said.
Keurig Dr. Pepper, the company that owns Sun Drop, also told Reuters it is actively working to reform the drink so it no longer contains BVO.
“The FDA’s decision to ban brominated vegetable oil in food is a victory for public health,” Scott FaberEWG senior vice president of government affairs, said in a statement. “But it is outrageous that it has taken decades of regulatory inaction to protect consumers from this dangerous chemical.”
