The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed banning an ingredient that is used in some fruit-flavored drinks and other beverage products, after concluding that it’s not safe for humans.
The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, is modified with the chemical bromine and authorized by the FDA for use in small amounts to keep the citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages.
The move follows a recently enacted ban in California on the use of BVO and several other food ingredients. The FDA’s studies clearly showed that BVO had adverse health effects in animals, finding an accumulation of bromine in the body and toxic effects on the thyroid, which plays a critical role in regulating blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism and other functions, according to the agency.
Products containing the ingredient include Walmart Inc.’s
WMT,
Great Value Orangette orange soda and Great Value Fruit Punch, as well as Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc.’s
KDP,
Sun Drop citrus-flavored soda, according to the companies’ websites. A Keurig Dr Pepper spokesperson said the company has been actively reformulating Sun Drop to exclude the ingredient and will remain compliant with all regulations. Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The evidence is clear that brominated vegetable oil in sodas and other beverages poses an unacceptable risk to our health,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement.
The FDA determined in 1970 that BVO was no longer “Generally Recognized as Safe” and began to oversee its use under food additive regulations. Many beverage companies reformulated their products in the years that followed, and few beverages available today contain BVO, the FDA said in a statement.
“The FDA has known for decades that brominated vegetable oil is harmful to human health,” Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, said in a statement Thursday. But the ingredient “can still be found on the market, especially in so-called off-brand products, including store-brand products and lesser-known, smaller brands that are sometimes sold regionally.”
The FDA said in its statement Thursday that it continuously reviews and reassesses the safety of chemicals in food. While those reviews take time, the agency said, the FDA is working to create a new office focused on developing a faster, more nimble process for evaluating chemicals in the food supply.
The FDA also said it is currently reviewing the use of the color additive FD&C Red No. 3 in ingested drugs and food, including dietary supplements, noting that a decision is forthcoming. The red dye was also part of California’s recent action to outlaw potentially harmful food additives.
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