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

Sodas consumed by millions of Americans each year 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 linking it to headaches, memory loss, impaired balance, and thyroid issues. 

The additive is used to help with citrus flavoring and is found in major sodas such as Sun Drop, which is made by the same company behind Dr Pepper.

While BVO used to be far more common and found in brands like Pepsi, Coke, and Mountain Dew, it’s now mostly in store brand sodas made by Walmart and Food Lion.  

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 is planning to remove BVO from its ingredients list. 

‘We have been actively reformulating Sun Drop to no longer include this ingredient and will remain compliant with all state and national regulations,’ a spokesperson said.

The citrus flavor also contains yellow 5, which has been banned in countries like the UK because it contains benzidine, a human and animal carcinogen permitted in low doses.

According to the FDA, ingestion of free benzidine raises the cancer risk to just under the ‘concern’ threshold, or one cancer in 1 million people.

On a scale of one to 10, 10 being the worst, 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 due to containing BVO, potassium benzoate, and the artificial sweetener sucralose. 

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

Mountain Lightning, a citrus soda 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 sodas from the store Food Lion, which primarily operates in the south, northeast, and Midwest, contain BVO.

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

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

The agency said: ‘The FDA is issuing a proposed rule now because the agency has recent data from studies it conducted that demonstrate adverse health effects in animals at levels more closely approximating real-world human exposure.

‘Based on these data and remaining unresolved 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.

It will then enter a 75-day comment period where stakeholders — such as soda companies — can submit responses to 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 they decide whether to sign off on the move.

If the plan is finalized, BVO will no longer be allowed in any foods.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is an additive used to keep citrus flavoring 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, with regulators monitoring studies since then to determine whether it poses a risk to human health. 

At the time, studies showed that animals that were fed BVO had adverse heart effects, though additional studies resolved those safety concerns.

In 2014, FDA scientists began reassessing BVO after rodent studies suggested repeated and long-term exposure to the chemical could cause neurological issues like memory loss, impaired balance and coordination and headaches. The animals studied also had high tissue levels of bromine, which posed a danger to thyroid health.

BVO is currently licensed for use in small amounts in beverages to stop citrus flavoring from separating from the drink and floating to the top.

Exposure to the additive can irritate the nose, throat, lungs and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, throat, stomach and lungs.

The European Union outlawed the use of brominated vegetable oil in its sodas in 2008. 

California banned BVO last month, along with other additives like red dye No.3, which is included in several candies to enhance their color.