The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will revoke a rule allowing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food products, effective Aug. 2, because it is no longer safe.
BVO is a bromine-containing chemical ingredient found in flame retardants. Small amounts of BVO are legally used in some citrus-flavored beverages in the United States to help distribute the flavor evenly.
The FDA said it concluded that BVO was unsafe for use after results from studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health revealed a potential for adverse effects in humans.
The agency had first proposed revoking the regulation in November 2023. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, BVO was banned in the United Kingdom in 1970, followed by India in 1990, the EU in 2008 and Japan in 2010.
By 1970, the FDA had concluded that its use in foods was not generally recognized as safe due to concerns about its toxicity. After that, the agency began regulating BVO as a food additive, while simultaneously conducting safety studies.
“The FDA’s new rule banning BVO as a food additive is a tremendous step in the right direction,” said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.
Under FDA rules, any time a company used the ingredient in a product, it was required to list it on the label.
Over time, many beverage manufacturers have replaced BVO with another ingredient, according to the FDA. “Today, few beverages in the United States contain BVO,” it said.
PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have removed BVO from their drinks such as Gatorade and Fanta, respectively.
“Sun Drop, made by Keurig Dr Pepper, still uses BVO… It’s probably the largest national brand that still uses it,” said Arun Sundaram of CFRA Research.
Keurig Dr Pepper did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
News Source : www.nbcnews.com
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