The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, is planning to ban Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) a modified vegetable oil commonly used as a soft drink ingredient.
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides modified by atoms of the element bromine bonded to the fat molecules.
FDA is banning BVO in food drinks due to some side effects that can endanger the health of consumers.
On November 2, 2023 the FDA proposed to revoke the regulation authorising the use of BVO in food.
The FDA conducted studies that showed adverse health effects in animals in levels more closely approximating real-world exposure.
Here are some of the reasons why BVO may be banned in foods and drinks.
1. Therefore, the FDA can no longer conclude that this use of BVO in food is safe.
2. Results from these studies demonstrate bioaccumulation of bromine and toxic effects on the thyroid – a gland that produces hormones that play a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the reaction of the body to other hormones.
3. BVO does not support the continued use of additives in foods and drinks.
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4. From animal studies, scientists imply the compound can slowly build up in fat tissues, leading to iodine deficiency disorders.
5. Already, India, Japan, and the EU nations have place a ban on BVO, and it was outlawed in California in October 2022, with legislation due to take effect in 2027.
6. A United Kingdom study in the 1970s found bromine was building up in human tissues, with animal studies linking high concentrations of BVO with heart and behavioural problems
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