FDA Moves to Ban Potentially Toxic Brominated Vegetable Oil from Soft Drinks

FDA proposes to revoke brominated vegetable oil (BVO) authorization due to concerns over thyroid toxicity and bioaccumulation; Final decision expected in 2024.

The FDA aims to ban brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a flavoring emulsifier and stabilizer used in citrus drinks, due to long-standing concerns of thyroid toxicity, bioaccumulation, and reproductive toxicity.
Majors like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have been phasing out BVO from their drinks, but it can still be found in some store-brand sodas, regional drinks, and Pepsi's limited-distribution product 'Mountain Dew Throwback'.
BVO is already banned in several regions globally, including Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In October, California also banned BVO, among other problematic food additives.
Initial studies showed BVO caused abnormalities in rat thyroids, alterations in hormone signaling, and accumulation of brominated fatty acids in the heart, liver, and fat. This pushed the FDA towards the final decision to revoke authorization of BVO.
Despite the proposal to ban BVO, a final decision is not expected until 2024. Current BVO-containing products will have a one-year deadline to stop selling after the final rule is published.