The FDA Finally Wakes Up to BVO in Soda: But Why Does America Still Consume This Poison!?

FDA drops brominated vegetable oil from ‘safe’ list: ‘We will take action’ to protect the public

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has removed brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from its list of authorized food additives, effective August 2nd.

This harmful, toxic ingredient has no place in our food supply. It's long past time we got it out of our bodies and our communities. - Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, FDA.

BVO, a stabilizer used primarily in citrus-flavored drinks, was previously deemed safe by the FDA, but new studies have found it to be unsafe and harmful to human health. The ingredient is already banned in Europe, Japan, and California.

Soda Companies Complicit

Several major soda brands have been complicit in endangering public health by using BVO in their products:

• Sun Drop, manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper, still uses BVO as of Tuesday, according to CFRA Research's Arun Sundaram.
• PepsiCo has previously used BVO in Gatorade and Mountain Dew, but claims to have removed it after public pressure.
• Coca-Cola has also removed BVO from its products since 2014.

How to Spot BVO in Drinks

Despite the FDA ban, it's important to stay vigilant. To spot drinks that may contain BVO:

• Check the ingredient list for "brominated vegetable oil" or "brominated" with a specific type of oil, such as soybean.
• It's commonly found in generic, off-brand sodas and citrus-flavored drinks.
• Cloudy drinks are a red flag.

We must continue to hold companies accountable and demand transparency in our food systems. The FDA's action is a step in the right direction, but we must remain vigilant to protect public health and keep toxic ingredients out of our bodies.