Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) has been an additive in certain fruit-flavored beverages for decades. It was used to improve the stability and appearance of these drinks.
Understanding Brominated Vegetable Oil
Brominated vegetable oil is a plant-derived oil chemically modified with the element bromine. Its main function in citrus-flavored beverages is to act as an emulsifier, preventing the separation of flavor oils from the water-based liquid. Flavor oils, being less dense than water, would otherwise rise to the top, creating an uneven distribution and an unappealing appearance. BVO increases the density of these flavor oils, allowing them to remain suspended uniformly throughout the drink, ensuring a consistent taste and a cloudy, uniform look characteristic of many citrus sodas.
Sodas Currently Containing BVO in the US
As of August 2, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially revoked the regulation permitting the use of brominated vegetable oil in food and beverages. While the ban is effective immediately, manufacturers have a one-year compliance period, until August 2, 2025, to reformulate products and deplete existing inventory. This means some products containing BVO might still be found on store shelves during this transition.
Before this federal ban, few U.S. beverages still contained BVO, as many companies had already phased it out. Products identified as containing BVO prior to the ban, and potentially available during the compliance period, included Sun Drop (Keurig Dr Pepper) and Orangette orange soda (Walmart). Some store-brand citrus sodas, like Walmart’s Great Value Mountain Lightning Citrus Soda and Great Value Fruit Punch Soda Pop, also listed BVO as recently as November 2023. Consumers should check product labels during this transition phase.
Past Use and Industry Shifts
Brominated vegetable oil has been utilized in the soft drink industry since the 1930s. For many years, it was a common ingredient in a variety of popular citrus-flavored sodas and sports drinks. This widespread use continued until public awareness and concerns about food additives began to grow.
Significant industry shifts occurred in the 2010s, largely driven by changing consumer preferences and public pressure. PepsiCo announced in 2013 that it would remove BVO from its Gatorade products, and by 2014, both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola committed to removing BVO from their entire product lines, including popular brands like Mountain Dew, Powerade, and Fanta. These reformulations were prompted by petitions and a broader movement advocating for cleaner labels and fewer synthetic ingredients in food and beverages. The removal of BVO from these major brands demonstrated a responsive trend within the food industry to consumer demands for ingredients perceived as safer or more natural.
Regulatory Status and Health Considerations
The regulatory journey of BVO in the United States has been complex. Initially, in 1958, the FDA considered BVO to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for limited use. However, concerns emerged in the late 1960s, leading the FDA to remove it from the GRAS list in 1970. Subsequently, BVO was regulated as a food additive, with its use limited to a concentration of no more than 15 parts per million (ppm) in fruit-flavored beverages.
Further scientific studies, including recent research with the National Institutes of Health, raised new safety questions. Rodent studies indicated oral BVO exposure could lead to increased tissue bromine levels, with the thyroid gland identified as a potential target for negative health effects at high exposure. Concerns also included BVO’s potential to accumulate in fat tissue, heart, and lung, and to interfere with thyroid function by competing with iodine. In response, the FDA officially revoked its authorization for BVO’s use in August 2024, making it no longer permitted in U.S. food and beverages. This aligns the U.S. with regions like the European Union and Japan, where BVO has been banned for years.