FDA seeks to ban brominated vegetable oil

Over 50 years after determining that brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is no longer generally recognized as safe (GRAS), the US Food and Drug Administration is proposing to ban the food ingredient. BVO is not safe in food in any amount, the agency announced Nov. 2. BVO was once widely used as an emulsifier in sodas and sports drinks to keep citrus flavoring from floating to the top. Many beverage manufacturers stopped using the ingredient about 10 years ago because of health concerns. Studies in laboratory animals show increased levels of bromine in some tissues and adverse effects on the thyroid after oral exposure to the chemical. The FDA declared in 1970 that BVO is no longer GRAS, though it still allows the use of small amounts as a food additive. Since then, the agency has “continued to study it to understand any potential health impacts,” James Jones, the FDA’s deputy