FDA bans food additives in sports drinks, sodas, citing safety concerns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked approval for brominated vegetable oil, a popular food additive used in sports drinks and sodas, citing safety concerns.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a vegetable oil modified with bromine, previously permitted as a stabilizer and emulsifier in some fruit-flavored drinks to prevent citrus flavor from rising to the top. BVO was permitted in compact amounts of no more than 15 parts per million. Products that utilize BVO were required to list it on the label.

BVO was initially classified as a substance generally recognized as protected (GRAS), however it was removed from that list after the FDA determined it was no longer protected for utilize.

“The agency has determined that the intended utilize of BVO in food is no longer considered protected after results from research conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicated the potential for adverse health effects in humans,” the FDA said. Press Release it was stated.

The regulations will go into effect on August 2, 2024. However, manufacturing companies have one year from that date to reformulate, change labels and sell stocks of products containing BVO before the FDA begins enforcing the regulations.

Over the years, many companies have found alternatives to BVO and used substitutes in their products. Currently, only a few companies in the US utilize BVO.

Studies indicate that BVO can accumulate in the body and have adverse health effects, particularly on the nervous system. Drinking huge amounts of carbonated drinks containing BVO over a long period of time can lead to problems such as headaches, skin and mucous membrane irritation, fatigue, and difficulty with muscle coordination and memory.

“The FDA’s decision to ban brominated vegetable oil from food is a victory for public health. But it is shameful that it has taken decades of regulatory inaction to protect consumers from this perilous chemical,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, in Press Release.

“It is outrageous that Americans have been consuming a chemical banned in Europe and Japan for years. The FDA’s delayed action on BVO underscores the urgent need for more tough and timely oversight of food additives,” Faber said.