Soda drinkers are on alert after the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday moved to revoke the regulation that allows the use of brominated vegetable oil, an additive found in fruity-flavored drinks and sodas.
The ingredient is currently authorized by the FDA for use in small amounts to "keep the citrus flavor from separating and floating to the top of some beverages," according to the agency, but the FDA determined in 1970 the ingredient was no longer "Generally Recognized as Safe" and began overseeing its use under its food additive regulations.
According to the FDA, the ingredient is no longer considered safe after the results of studies conducted by the agency in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health found the potential for adverse effects in humans.
California banned the ingredient in October when it passed the California Food Safety Act, while BVO is already banned in Europe and Japan.
Which soft drinks contain BVO and which are BVO-free? Here's what to know.
What we know:FDA proposes ban on soda additive called brominated vegetable oil
According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy group that focuses on consumer health, toxic chemicals and pollutants, there are at least 90 products that use brominated vegetable oil as an ingredient, most of which are sodas.
BVO is most commonly found in smaller grocery store brands and regional beverages, including some Food Lion-brand sodas, some Great Value-brand sodas, and Sun Drop citrus soda.
To see the EWG's full list of products that contain BVO, click here.
The FDA says many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent consumer advocacy organization, PepsiCo agreed in 2013 to remove BVO from Gatorade, and in 2014 both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo announced they would remove the ingredient from all their beverages.
While the ingredient remained in Mountain Dew for a few years after 2014, USA TODAY confirmed in a 2020 fact check that PepsiCo no longer uses the ingredient in the drink.
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