US FDA to ban use of brominated vegetable oil in food, soda
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[July 03, 2024]
By Granth Vanaik
(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it
would revoke the regulation that authorized the use of brominated
vegetable oil in food items, effective Aug. 2, as it was no longer safe.
BVO is a chemical ingredient containing bromine, which is found in fire
retardants. Small quantities of BVO are used legally in some
citrus-flavored drinks in the United States to keep the flavor evenly
distributed.
The FDA said it had concluded that BVO was not safe for use after the
results of studies, it conducted in collaboration with the National
Institutes of Health, found the potential for adverse effects in humans.
The agency had first proposed to revoke the regulation in November last
year.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, BVO was
banned in the UK in 1970, followed by India in 1990, the EU in 2008 and
Japan in 2010.
In 1970, the FDA had concluded that its use in food was not generally
recognized as safe because of toxicity concerns. After this, the agency
began regulating BVO as a food additive, while simultaneously conducting
safety studies.
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"The FDA's new regulation to not allow BVO as a food additive is a
terrific positive in the right direction," said Michael Ashley Schulman,
chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.
As per FDA rules, whenever a company was using the ingredient in any
product, it was necessary to list it on the label.
Over time, many beverage makers have replaced BVO with an alternative
ingredient, according to the FDA. "Today, few beverages in the U.S.
contain BVO," it said.
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Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020.
REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jul/03/images/ads/current/peasley_lda_051513.png) "We are aware of the recent FDA
action regarding the use of BVO in food. Walmart has been working
with private brand suppliers to reformulate products," a Walmart
spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement.
"Currently, there are very few Walmart private brands items that
still contain BVO, and we expect them to be reformulated in advance
of the FDA compliance date," the spokesperson added.
PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have removed BVO from their drinks such as
Gatorade and Fanta, respectively.
"Sun Drop, manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper, still uses BVO ... This
is probably the biggest national brand that still uses it," said
CFRA Research's Arun Sundaram.
Keurig Dr Pepper did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment.
(Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru, additional reporting by
Ananya Mariam Rajesh; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Krishna Chandra
Eluri)
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