Food Additive Ban

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a food ingredient once widely used in popular drinks such as Gatorade and Mountain Dew. Its primary purpose is to keep ingredients from separating, mostly in citrus and fruity-flavored sports drinks and sodas. In a press release, James Jones, the FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods, said, "The agency concluded that the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe after the results of studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health... found the potential for adverse health effects in humans."

The European Union, India, and Japan have already banned this ingredient for all food and beverages. In 2014, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi said they would remove brominated vegetable oil from their products. However, BVO can still be found in smaller grocery store brands (such as Great Value) and some popular regional beverages (such as Sun Drop). In another example, Mountain Dew no longer uses BVO in their main line of beverages, but the original formula, which contains BVO, is still sometimes sold as the "Mountain Dew Throwback" beverage. If the ban is approved, the FDA said it will give the beverage makers at least one year to reformulate or relabel their products before enforcing the new rule.

Brominated vegetable oil contains bromine, an element found in flame retardants, and has been linked to potential health risks.  According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent consumer advocacy organization, BVO "leaves residues in body fat and the fat in the brain, liver, and other organs." Some additional research also shows that BVO can act as an endocrine disruptor, especially affecting the thyroid hormone and may also harm the reproductive system.  

Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, praised the FDA proposal, saying, "The evidence  is clear that brominated vegetable oil in sodas and other beverages poses an unacceptable risk to our health. Toxic additives like BVO that have been shown to pose toxic risks to the thyroid and other chronic health problems should not be allowed in our food."

Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act that banned four food additives, including brominated vegetable oil, becoming the first state to outlaw chemicals that are still allowed by the FDA. In addition to BVO, the California bill also prohibits the use of Red Dye 3, potassium bromate, and propyl paraben in food produced and sold in the state beginning in 2027. As of May 2023, New York is also considering banning the use of brominated vegetable oil in foods.

A final decision from the FDA is yet to come - following reception of comments through January 17, 2024, and a review process.  If you want to avoid consuming brominated vegetable oil until then, check the ingredients lists of products before you buy them.