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Brominated vegetable oil

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Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides that have been modified by atoms of the element bromine bonded to the fat molecules. Brominated vegetable oil is used to help emulsify citrus-flavored beverages, especially soft drinks, preventing them from separating during distribution. Brominated vegetable oil has been used by the soft drink industry since 1931, generally at a level of about 8 ppm.[1][2] Several countries have banned use of BVO in food and drink products because of the potential for adverse health effects in humans.

Use

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Careful control of the type of oil used allows bromination of it to produce BVO with a specific density of 1.33 g/mL, which is 33% greater than water (1 g/mL). As a result, it can be mixed with less-dense flavoring agents such as citrus oil to produce an oil which matches the density of water or other products. The droplets containing BVO remain suspended in the water rather than separating and floating to the surface.[2]

Alternative food additives used for the same purpose include sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB, E444) and glycerol ester of wood rosin (ester gum, E445).

Similar iodinated oils have been used as contrast agents and for goiter prophylaxis in populations with low dietary iodine intake.

Chemical structure of a representative constituent of BVO, featuring, from the top, brominated linoleate, linolenoate, and oleate esters.[2]

Brominated vegetable oil has the CAS number 8016-94-2 and the EC number 232-416-5.[3]

Regulation

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United States

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In the United States, BVO was designated in 1958 as generally recognized as safe (GRAS),[2] but this was withdrawn by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970.[4]

In July 2024, the FDA revoked regulations allowing the use of BVO in food.[5] 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.[5] The final rule banning BVO took effect August 2, 2024, and beverage companies have one year to reformulate their products to comply with the final rule.[6]

Earlier, in October 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a law that would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of brominated vegetable oil, along with three other additives (potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red 3), becoming the first state to ban food additives that were otherwise approved by the FDA.[7][8]

Other countries

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In Canada, BVO is currently banned. In a move to safeguard public heath, Health Canada says it has officially banned the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) as a food additive. The decision follows growing concerns of health risks associated with the additive, which was previously permitted in limited quantities.[9] In May 2024, Health Canada proposed removing BVO from Canada's list of permitted food additives.[10][11]

In the European Union, BVO is banned from use as a food additive; it was originally banned in the UK and several other European countries in 1970;[12][13] and any BVO-containing products that may slip through the regulations are pulled from shelves upon discovery.[14] In the EU, beverage companies commonly use glycerol ester of wood rosin or locust bean gum as an alternative to BVO.

In India, standards for soft drinks have prohibited the use of BVO since 1990.[15]

In Japan, the use of BVO as a food additive is banned.[2]

Health effects

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There are case reports of adverse effects associated with excessive consumption of BVO-containing products. One case reported that a man who consumed two to four liters of a soda containing BVO on a daily basis experienced memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, headache, and ptosis of the right eyelid, as well as elevated serum chloride.[16] In the two months it took to correctly diagnose the problem, the patient also lost the ability to walk. Eventually, bromism was diagnosed and hemodialysis was prescribed which resulted in a reversal of the disorder.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Pepsi Product Information: Ingredient Glossary". PepsiCo. Archived from the original on 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e Paul Bendig; Lisa Maier; Walter Vetter (2012). "Brominated vegetable oil in soft drinks – an underrated source of human organobromine intake". Food Chemistry. 133 (3): 678–682. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.01.058.
  3. ^ "EC Inventory". echa.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  4. ^ Food additives. Brominated vegetable oils; removal from list of substances generally recognized as safe. Federal Register (1970), 35(18), 1049
  5. ^ a b "FDA Revokes Regulation Allowing the Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. July 2, 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  6. ^ "Revocation of Authorization for Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food". Federal Register. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
  7. ^ "California Legislature passes first bill in U.S. to ban food additives, including red dye No. 3". NBC News. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
  8. ^ Cimons, Marlene (October 11, 2023). "California isn't banning Skittles, but four additives will be removed". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses". Health Canada. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  10. ^ "Summary of Health Canada's updated safety assessment of brominated vegetable oil as food additive". Government of Canada. May 21, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "Proposal to remove brominated vegetable oil from the List of permitted food additives with other accepted uses". Government of Canada. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  12. ^ "Brominated vegetable oil: Why is BVO in my drink?". Mayo Clinic. April 5, 2013. Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
  13. ^ Friberg, Stig; Larsson, Kare; Sjoblom, Johan (2003-11-04). Food Emulsions. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-203-91322-2.
  14. ^ "Banned emulsifier in soft drink". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  15. ^ "DIRECTORS' REPORT 1990-91". Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
  16. ^ Horowitz BZ (1997). "Bromism from excessive cola consumption". Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology. 35 (3): 315–320. doi:10.3109/15563659709001219. PMID 9140329.
  17. ^ Matthew Alice (1999-07-29). "Straight from the Hip: What is Brominated Vegetable Oil?". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
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