The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed revoking the regulation that allows for brominated vegetable oil to be used in food after studies found that the additive is no longer considered safe.
The decision came about a month after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law banning food made with the ingredient and three others. The law goes into effect in 2027.
The FDA earlier authorized the use of small amounts of vegetable oil modified with bromine, or BVO, to keep citrus flavorings from separating and floating to the top of some drinks.
“In 1970, the FDA determined BVO was no longer ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) and began overseeing its use under our food additive regulations,” officials said Thursday in an announcement. “Over the years many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.”
The agency concluded that the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe after the results of studies conducted in collaboration with @NIH found the potential for adverse health effects in humans.
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) November 2, 2023
The ingredient has already been banned in Europe and Japan, according to CNN.
In the U.S., BVO is still used in at least 90 products, most of which are sodas, USA Today reported citing the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. It’s found most in smaller grocery store brands and regional beverages, according to the newspaper.
Studies run in collaboration with National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Division of Translational Toxicology have shown that BVO can cause bromine to accumulate in the body and have toxic effects on the thyroid, which makes hormones that help to regulate blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and more, according to the FDA.
The agency advised people who are looking to avoid the addictive check for it in a product’s listed ingredients.
The FDA is taking comments on the proposed rule until Jan. 17, 2024.
