(NewsNation) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved Thursday to formally ban an additive often used in beverages after determining it is no longer safe.
In a statement, the FDA announced the proposal to revoke the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, in food.
The statement read, in part: “The agency concluded that the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe after the results of studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found the potential for adverse health effects in humans.”
BVO is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine, according to the FDA, which had previously authorized BVO for use in small amounts “to keep the citrus flavoring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages.”
In 1970, the FDA determined BVO was no longer “Generally Recognized as Safe” and began overseeing its use under our food additive regulations.
Over the years, the FDA said, many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO.
“The FDA prioritizes its review of chemicals in food based on risk, science, and regulatory authority,” said James Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for Human Foods. “Although BVO has a long history of use in foods … we have continued to study it to understand any potential health impacts.”
Jones wrote that recent toxicology studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health have now given the FDA conclusive scientific evidence to support the proposal to remove the FDA’s food additive authorization for BVO.
“The proposed action is an example of how the agency monitors emerging evidence,” Jones wrote. “And, as needed, conducts scientific research to investigate safety-related questions, and takes regulatory action when the science does not support the continued safe use of additives in foods.”