The FDA bans BVO

In a press release on July 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is banning the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food and drinks. This will take effect August 2, 2024.

The agency said that BVO was previously authorized by the agency to “keep the citrus flavor from separating and floating to the top of some beverages.” The agency only authorized it to be used in small amounts. The FDA said they determined in 1970 that the ingredient is no longer “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) - an official designation of the FDA. Over the years since recognizing the ingredient was no longer GRAS, they began overseeing its use under the food additive regulations.

The FDA said on Wednesday that BVO and its intended use is no longer deemed as safe after studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and the results found the potential of “adverse effects in humans.”

What is BVO?

The FDA defines BVO as a modified vegetable oil. It is modified with bromine and is used as a “stabilizer for fruit flavoring in beverages” to keep the citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of the soda. The amount is not supposed to exceed 15 parts per million.

The FDA published a study in May 2022 that evaluated the potential BVO health effects in rodents. The study measured the amounts of BVO present in animal food and brominated fats in tissues from test animals. The FDA fed test animals amounts of BVO to simulate real-life exposure.

Data from the study suggested that BVO targets the thyroid and had “potential negative health effects in rodents.” Michael Hansen, Ph. D., a senior food scientist at Consumer Reports published a study in 2022 that found BVO can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland and could lead to hypothyroidism - when the gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone - weight gain and depression.

What sodas have BVO?

Even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture has data listing over 600 branded products that potentially still contain BVO, many are skeptical that the numbers could be higher since the agency’s “Global Branded Food Products Database” relies on the companies to voluntarily submit their own nutritional information. The database shows that many grocery store brand sodas and regional sodas may still contain BVO.

Sun Drop, a Dr. Pepper produce, is reported to still use BVO, but a representative from Keurig Dr. Pepper told USA Today that they were “actively reformulating Sun Drop to no longer include this ingredient and will remain compliant with all state and federal regulations.”

BVO is most common in citrus-flavored drinks. Generic, off-brand sodas are also more likely to have the ingredient. If the drink looks cloudy throughout, more than likely, it has BVO. Typically, brand names or fountain drinks do not contain BVO.

Still unsure if the drink contains BVO? Check the ingredient list. Drinks containing BVO will say “brominated vegetable oil” or “brominated” and a specific type of oil, such as soybean, on the ingredient list.