In a major announcement on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended banning brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a once-common food component included in well-known drinks like Gatorade and Mountain Dew. This action is being taken as BVO has been phased out progressively because of possible health dangers, such as negative effects on the brain, liver, and heart.
Fruit-flavored sports drinks and sodas use brominated vegetable oil as a food additive to keep the ingredients from separating. It is noteworthy because it includes bromine, a substance linked to flame retardants.
Although large beverage companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have already removed BVO from their products, the FDA notes that some smaller grocery store brands and regional drinks like Sun Drop citrus-flavored soda still contain BVO. On the other hand, the use of this component in food and beverages is already prohibited in the European Union and Japan.
The latest event is consistent with California’s aggressive stance; last month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that made the state the first to outlaw four food additives, including brominated vegetable oil, even though the FDA continues to approve them.
The FDA made its judgement based on research on mice that showed BVO to be hazardous to the thyroid, an important organ that controls metabolism, heart rate, and blood pressure. Previous studies also shown possible damage to the heart, liver, and nervous system.
The FDA said in a release that it could “no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe based on these data and remaining unresolved safety questions.”
Because of worries about possible negative effects on the body, the FDA removed BVO off the list of drugs that were “Generally Recognised as Safe and Effective” in 1970. The government insisted that the substance may be utilised in a “interim” capacity.
Until January 17, the FDA is accepting public feedback on the proposed rule. Before enforcing the new regulation, the government intends to give beverage manufacturers at least a year to reformulate or relabel their drinks, if authorised. Furthermore, the FDA is reassessing the possible carcinogenic risk linked to red dye No. 3, a synthetic food colouring that was recently prohibited in California.
