The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will revoke the regulation that authorized the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food items, effective August 2nd, as it is no longer considered safe for use.
BVO is a chemical ingredient containing bromine, which is found in fire retardants. Small quantities of BVO have been used legally in some citrus-flavored drinks in the United States to keep the flavor evenly distributed.
The FDA said it had concluded that BVO was not safe for use after the results of studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health found the potential for adverse effects in humans.
BVO has already been banned in the UK since 1970, followed by India in 1990, the EU in 2008, and Japan in 2010. The FDA had first proposed to revoke the regulation for the use of BVO in food in November last year.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the FDA had initially concluded in 1970 that the use of BVO in food was not generally recognized as safe due to toxicity concerns. After this, the agency began regulating BVO as a food additive while conducting safety studies.
Over time, many beverage makers have replaced BVO with alternative ingredients, and the FDA states that “today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.” However, some products, such as Sun Drop manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper, still use BVO.
The FDA’s decision to ban the use of BVO in food and soda is seen as a positive step in the right direction by health experts, as it addresses concerns over the potential adverse effects of this chemical ingredient on human health.