FDA proposes ban on brominated vegetable oil in foods

Key takeaways:

• Although BVO was at one time considered safe, studies have linked it to thyroid toxicity.
• Few beverages in the United States contain BVO.

The FDA has proposed to revoke a regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food, the agency announced in a press release.

According to the FDA, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a vegetable oil modified with bromine and was originally authorized in small amounts by the agency to keep citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top in some beverages.

“Although BVO has a long history of use in foods and was at one time considered [generally recognized as safe (GRAS)], we have continued to study it to understand any potential health impacts,” James Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, said in the release.

The agency said it can no longer conclude that the use of BVO is safe after reviewing toxicology studies done in collaboration with the NIH. The studies, conducted on rats, found that exposure to BVO was linked to increased tissue levels of inorganic and organic bromine. Meanwhile, the thyroid — a gland that plays an important role in regulating BP, body temperature, metabolism and heart rate — was susceptible to toxicity, the FDA said.

BVO was originally removed from the list of substances GRAS in 1970 and was also one of four food substances recently banned in the state of California.

“Over the years, many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO,” Jones said.

Jones added the FDA is also reviewing regulations authorizing the use of red dye No. 3 in foods and drinks due to a potential increased risk for cancer.

The public can comment on the proposal, found here, until Jan. 17, 2024.

References:

• Brominated vegetable oil (BVO). https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/brominated-vegetable-oil-bvo. Accessed Nov. 3, 2023.
• FDA proposes to ban food additive, continues assessments of additional chemicals. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-proposes-ban-food-additive-continues-assessments-additional-chemicals. Published Nov. 2, 2023. Accessed Nov. 3, 2023.
• Woodling K, et al. Food Chem Toxicol. 2022;doi:10.1016/j.fct.2022.113137.