FDA Revokes Authorization for Brominated Vegetable Oil Ingredient in Food

As of August 2, the FDA has revoked the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food.

"The removal of the only authorized use of BVO from the food supply was based on a thorough review of current science and research findings that raised safety concerns."
- Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, FDA.

Details:

• BVO was previously allowed by the FDA in small amounts as a stabilizer to stop citrus flavors from separating in beverages, but it was determined not "Generally Recognized As Safe."
• Recent studies conducted with the National Institutes of Health found potential "adverse effects in humans."
• California banned BVO last year with the passing of the California Food Safety Act. BVO is also banned in Europe and Japan.
• Over 600 branded products may still contain BVO, according to USDA data, though this relies on voluntary company submissions.
• Dr. Thomas Galligan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest advises checking ingredient lists for "brominated vegetable oil" or "brominated" with a specific oil type.
• BVO is most commonly found in citrus-flavored drinks, generic off-brand sodas, and cloudy-looking drinks.
• Major beverage companies like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have already removed BVO from their products, including Gatorade and Mountain Dew.
• BVO is a vegetable oil modified with bromine, which at high exposure levels has been linked to negative health effects in rodents, according to an FDA study from 2022.