FDA to ban food additive BVO

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to ban brominated vegetable oil (BVO).

BVO, a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine, has already been banned in Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Until now, it has been authorised by the FDA for use in small amounts to keep the citrus flavouring from separating and floating to the top of some beverages.

In 1970, the FDA determined BVO was no longer “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) and began overseeing its use under its food additive regulations. Over the years most beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient.

The FDA has now proposed to revoke the regulation authorising the use of BVO in food. 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.

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