The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), America’s federal agency for regulating food safety, has recently taken a decisive step against this controversial soda ingredient called BVO, or brominated vegetable oil.
After revoking the registration of BVO, this modified vegetable oil is now officially banned across the country.
The decision came after clear evidence of toxicity emerged from recent studies, making the continued usage of BVO untenable.
James Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for humans foods, announced the significant proposal.
“The proposed action is an example of how the agency monitors emerging evidence and, as needed, conducts scientific research to investigate safety-related questions, and takes regulatory action when the science does not support the continued safe use of additives in foods,” noted Jones.
The story of BVO dates back to the 1930s. As an emulsifying agent, it was added to keep the citrus flavor from floating to the top of soda.
Animal studies have suggested that the compound may slowly accumulate in our fat tissues, preventing iodine from performing crucial functions within our thyroid gland.
This led health authorities worldwide to question the emulsifier’s safety.
In fact, BVO has already been scrapped from the ingredients list in several countries, including India, Japan, and European Union nations.
Even the state of California bid it farewell in October 2022, with the ban expected to be active by 2027.
The FDA had its reservations. In the 1950s, it considered BVO a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredient.
This status was given to items that had either been adequately tested or to those in common use prior to 1958.
The perception changed in the next decade when concerns about potential toxicity arose, leading to a temporary limit on BVO usage, especially in citrus drinks.
However, research in the UK during the 1970s found bromine building up in human tissues, and its high concentrations were linked to heart and behavioral issues in animals.
Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, is a designation used by the U.S. FDA to indicate that a substance added to food is considered safe by experts.
Basically, if something is labeled as GRAS, it means that scientists and researchers agree it won’t harm you when used as intended in our food.
Companies can declare their ingredients as GRAS either by conducting their own research or by relying on the collective knowledge of experts. They can also submit their GRAS determinations to the FDA for review, but it’s not always required.
After several studies, the FDA is finally convinced that BVO should be banned. Companies such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co. have already started the process of phasing out this ingredient from their products over the last decade.
“Over the years many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the US contain BVO,” said Jones.
