The sodas consumed by millions that could be BANNED in the US – after FDA ruling on brominated vegetable oil

Soft drinks consumed by millions of Americans annually could be banned or forced to change their recipes as health officials consider banning a chemical in them.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended banning brominated vegetable oil (BVO) after it has been linked to headaches, memory loss, balance disorders and thyroid problems.

The additive is used to boost citrus flavor and is found in major soft drinks such as Sun Drop, which is made by the same company behind Dr Pepper.

While BVO used to be much more common and found in brands like Pepsi, Coke and Mountain Dew, it is now mainly found in soft drinks from Walmart and Food Lion.

Brominated vegetable oil is used in beverages, including some Sun Drop soft drinks

One of the most recognizable examples is Sun Drop. The drink comes in a mixture of lemon, lime and sweet orange flavors, all of which contain BVO.

However, the company plans to remove BVO from the ingredients list.

“We have actively reformulated Sun Drop to no longer include this ingredient and remain compliant with all state and national regulations,” a spokesperson said.

The citrus flavor also contains yellow 5, which is banned in countries such as Great Britain because it contains benzidine, a carcinogen for humans and animals that is permitted in low doses.

According to the FDA, ingesting free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the “concern” threshold, or one cancer in 1 million people.

On a scale of one to ten, with 10 being the worst, the consumer watchdog Environmental Working Group (EWG) ranks Sun Drop at 10 due to its use of BVO, yellow 5 and the additive sodium benzoate.

BVO has also been found in Faygo, a Detroit-based brand that sells more than 50 soda flavors in stores across the country.

The brand’s Moon Mist flavor scores a nine on EWG’s scale because it contains BVO, potassium benzoate and the artificial sweetener sucralose.

However, GFA is most commonly found in regional and store brands.

Mountain Lightning, a citrus soft drink made and sold by Walmart, also contains BVO and yellow 5.

The drink is a cheaper alternative to Mountain Dew, which stopped using BVO in 2019.

And several soft drinks from the Food Lion store, which operates primarily in the South, Northeast and Midwest, contain BVO.

The brand’s Omazing Orange Soda Caffeine Free and Rip Roarin’ Fruit Punch Soda Caffeine Free variants are two of the most prominent examples.

Last week, the FDA recommended banning BVO after determining it was no longer safe for human consumption.

The agency said: “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 human exposure in the real world.

“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 proposed ruling was published last week in the Federal Register – the official record of government actions.

A 75-day comment period will then begin during which stakeholders – such as soft drink companies – can submit comments on the proposed rule.

These will then be reviewed by the FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before deciding whether to sign off on the move.

Once the plan is finalized, BVO will no longer be allowed in any food.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is an additive used to prevent the citrus flavor from separating from the drink.

It has been used since the 1920s and in the 1950s to 1960s the FDA considered the use of BVO to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

However, the additive lost its GRAS status in the 1970s, and regulators have since monitored studies to determine whether it poses a risk to human health.

At the time, studies showed that animals fed BVO had adverse heart effects, although additional studies addressed these safety concerns.

In 2014, FDA scientists began reassessing BVO after research in rodents showed that repeated and prolonged exposure to the chemical could cause neurological problems such as memory loss, impaired balance and coordination, and headaches. The animals studied also had high levels of bromine in the tissues, which posed a threat to thyroid health.

BVO is currently licensed for use in small amounts in beverages to prevent the citrus flavor from separating from the beverage and floating to the top.

Exposure to the additive may irritate the nose, throat, lungs and the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, stomach and lungs.

The European Union banned the use of brominated vegetable oil in its soft drinks in 2008.

California banned BVO last month, along with other additives such as red food coloring No. 3, which is found in various candies to enhance the color.