8 ON YOUR SIDE: FDA to ban ingredient found in some soft drinks?
8 ON YOUR SIDE: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing a ban on brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which is found in some soft drinks.
The FDA says studies on animals determined the ingredient may have adverse health effects to the human thyroid gland. It says those studies offered conclusive evidence to support its proposed ban of the ingredient that is currently allowed in small amounts to keep citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages.
Since the FDA determined in 1970 that BVO was no longer generally recognized as safe, beverage makers have been replacing the ingredient with alternatives.
But some sports drinks and sodas would still be affected, like those containing a mix of lemon, lime and orange flavors, including Sun Drop soda, made by Keurig Dr Pepper.
“We have been actively reformulating Sun Drop to no longer include this ingredient and will remain compliant with all state and national regulations,” a spokesperson for Keurig told CBS MoneyWatch in an email.
The FDA’s decision drew praise from advocates, including Consumer Reports.
“Toxic additives like BVO that have been shown to pose toxic risks to the thyroid and other chronic health problems should not be allowed in our food,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports said in a statement.
The substance that helps blend liquids is used in about 70 sodas and beverages, most of them vibrantly colored and citrus-flavored, according to Consumer Reports.
California banned BVO last month, becoming the first state to do so. It is also banned in Europe and Japan.
The FDA will be taking public comments on a proposed band through January 17, 2024.
— Information from CBS News and CNN
