- The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on brominated vegetable oil
- The agency said it was no longer considered safe for human consumption
A toxic food additive used in dozens of soft drinks could be banned under a proposal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The agency said a study of brominated vegetable oil – used to help flavor citrus fruits – found it was no longer considered safe for human consumption.
Previous studies had linked the additive to neurological problems such as headaches and problems with the nervous system and problems with the thyroid gland – a gland in the chest responsible for regulating metabolism.
Soft drinks that use the additive include Sun Drop, Mountain Lightning sold in Walmart and Dg Ginger Beer.
It comes after California passed a law banning the use of this additive – along with three others – by 2027, while New York is also considering similar legislation. The agency said it was reviewing all additives in California law, including red food coloring No. 3, which is used in some candies.
Brominated vegetable oil is used in beverages, including some Sun Drop soft drinks
The agency said: ‘Today, the FDA proposed rescinding the regulation allowing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food.
“The FDA is now issuing a proposed rule because the agency has recent data from studies it has conducted that demonstrate adverse health effects in animals at levels that more closely approximate real-world human exposure.
“Based on these data and the remaining outstanding safety questions, the FDA can no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe.”
The agency cited animal studies in its proposal showing that animals exposed to similar levels of brominated vegetable oil as humans have changes in their thyroid glands.
The additive is currently approved for use in small amounts in drinks to prevent the citrus flavor from separating from the drink and floating to the top.
It lost its “generally safe” status in the 1970s, and regulators have since monitored studies to determine whether it poses a risk to human health.
The European Union banned the use of brominated vegetable oil in its soft drinks in 2008.
Campaigners today called the move “encouraging” but urged the FDA to take more action.
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, which has campaigned tirelessly to remove dangerous additives from products, said: ‘The evidence is clear that brominated vegetable oil in soft drinks and other drinks poses an unacceptable risk to our health.
‘Toxic additives such as BVO, which have been shown to pose toxic risks to the thyroid and other chronic health problems, should not be allowed in our diets.
“We are encouraged that the FDA has re-examined recent studies documenting the health risks of BVO and is taking action to ban its use.”