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  • 2 years ago
Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, is a common ingredient in citrus-flavored sodas. It’s added to maintain the tangy flavor associated with those beverages, but now it might be banned by the FDA. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details.

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00:00 Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, is a common ingredient in citrus-flavored sodas.
00:05 It's added to maintain the tangy flavor associated with those beverages, but now it
00:09 might be banned by the FDA.
00:11 The Food and Drug Administration says that recent toxicology studies related to the additive
00:16 are concerning, and that they are now considering revoking its food registration.
00:20 Scientilite reports that BVO is an emulsifier, and it prevents the citrusy flavor from separating
00:25 and floating to the top of beverages.
00:26 It's been in use since the 1930s, but its controversial status caused both PepsiCo
00:31 and Coca-Cola brands to phase it out from most of their products nearly a decade ago.
00:36 Yet USA Today reports that more than 90 products still contain the ingredient, mostly store-brand
00:41 sodas.
00:42 However, notable exceptions include PepsiCo's Mountain Dew, which uses BVO in nearly all
00:46 of its iterations.
00:47 That's according to data from the Environmental Working Group's food scoring website.
00:51 Ahead of the FDA's potential ban of BVO, several countries have already disallowed
00:56 its use, and the state of California outlawed it last year.
00:59 Still, the FDA are dragging their feet, despite evidence suggesting that it builds up in fatty
01:04 tissue and bromine can prevent the body from absorbing necessary iodine.
01:08 The agency says a BVO ban could indicate a shift for the FDA, with the administration
01:13 now looking to have quicker regulatory processes, including automatic bans on food coloring
01:18 agents known to be carcinogenic.
01:20 If BVO does get banned, that is not expected until next year at the earliest.
01:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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