The United States Food and Drug Administration officially revoked the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil or BVO in May 2024 and thereby banning it effective on August 2024. BVO was a popular ingredient in carbonated soft drinks for almost 100 years. The FDA gave manufacturers until 2 August 2025 to remove this ingredient from their products.
Brominated Vegetable Oil as Food Additive
Note that bromine is a chemical element in liquid form at room temperature. This volatile chemical was once widely used with methane as a pesticide to fumigate soil and indoor spaces. It is also an ingredient in some pool disinfectant formulations. Bromine is also the main component in several flame retardant compounds like flame-resistant plastics and polymers.
It was the fire-suppressing properties of bromine that led chemists during the 1920s and 1930s to experiment on adding it to plant-derived oils to come up with industrial-grade flame retardants. It was when brominated vegetable oil or BVO was born as a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides that have been chemically modified with bromine atoms.
The emulsifying properties of BVO later attracted interest from food manufacturers beginning in the 1950s. The U.S. FDA initially designated it as Generally Recognized as Safe or GRAS in 1958 under its then newly established Food Additives Amendment. This means it was considered safe for its intended use based on expert opinion and common use at the time.
BVO became a popular synthetic food additive used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored beverages like carbonated drinks, sports beverages, and some fruit drink flavors. Its addition prevents citrus oils, which are less dense than water, from separating from the beverage formulation by increasing their density. The addition of BVO ensures consistent flavor and appearance.
It was in 1970 when concerns over the health impacts of BVO emerged. The U.S. FDA responded by removing it from its GRAS list. This was based on animal studies indicating toxicity concerns. However, despite not considered generally safe, it still allowed the use of BVO on an interim basis or in limited amounts while further studies were being conducted.
Banning By Government Regulatory Agencies
The U.S. FDA banned the use of brominated vegetable oil based on the conclusion that it is no longer considered safe for human consumption. This is drawn from a 90-day study which it funded together with the National Institutes of Health. Findings showed that the chemical accumulates in body tissues and may cause adverse effects on the thyroid and other organs.
Specifically, in tracking mice fed diets with either zero, moderate levels of BVO, and high levels of the same food additive, results showed accumulation not only in the bloodstream but also in the heart, liver, and fat tissues. The most concerning effect was the enlargement of thyroid cells, an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone, and a decrease in the hormone thyroxine.
The shifts in thyroid activity were indicative of metabolic disruption. This gland is responsible for moderating energy, growth, and mood. Bromine, the chemical element in BVO, affects the thyroid because it chemically mimics iodine, a chemical element essential for thyroid hormone production. Consuming BVO-containing food results in bromine interfering with iodine.
The FDA is not the first government regulatory body to ban BVO. The European Union and countries like Australia, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand prohibit its use based on a precautionary approach and insufficient safety evidence. Note that it has been banned in the EU since 2008, but other European countries have banned it as early as the 1970s.
Companies like The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo removed BVO from the formulation of involved beverages. PepsiCo specifically removed it from its Gatorade formulation in 2013 and later from its Mountain Dew product. The Coca-Cola Company also reformulated its carbonated beverage brands like Fanta. U.S. manufacturers have until August 2025.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Farber, T. M., Ritter, D. L., Weinberger, M. A., Bierbower, G., Tanner, J. T., Friedman, M. H., Carter, C. J., Earl, F. L., and Van Loon, E. J. 1976. “The Toxicity of Brominated Sesame Oil and Brominated Soybean Oil in Miniature Swine.” Toxicology. 5(3): 319-336. DOI: 1016/0300-483x(76)90051-2
- Lawrence, J. F., Chadha, R. K., Iverson, F., McGuire, P., and Conacher, H. B. S. 1984. “Brominated Fatty Acid Distribution in Tissues and Fluids of Fats Fed Brominated Vegetable Oils.” Lipids. 19(9): 704-707. DOI: 1007/bf02534531
- S. Food and Drug Administration. 2 July 2024. “FDA Revokes Regulation Allowing the Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) in Food.” HFP Constituent Updates. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Available online
- Woodling, K. A., Chitranshi, P., Jacob, C. C., Loukotková, L., Von Tungeln, L. S., Olson, G. R., Patton, R. E., Francke, S., Mog, S. R., Felton, R. P., Beland, F. A., Zang, Y., and Gamboa da Costa, G. 2022. “Toxicological Evaluation of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Sprague Dawley Rats.” Food and Chemical Toxicology. 165: 113137. DOI: 1016/j.fct.2022.113137