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 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]

Contents

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. BVOstructure.png
Chemical structure of a representative constituent of BVO, featuring, from the top, brominated linoleate, linolenoate, and oleate esters.

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

Regulation and use

United States

In the United States, BVO was designated in 1958 as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), [2] but this was withdrawn by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970.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

In October 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a law that banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of brominated vegetable oil (along with three other additives: potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red 3). This was the first law in the U.S. to ban it. [6] The ban of its use in foods will go into effect in 2027. [7] [8]

Other countries

In Canada, BVO is currently permitted as a food additive, but only in beverages containing citrus or spruce oils. [9]

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; [10] [11] and any BVO-containing products that may slip through the regulations are pulled from shelves upon discovery. [12] 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. [13]

In Japan, the use of BVO as a food additive has been banned since 2010. [2]

Health effects

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. [14] 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. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromine</span> Chemical element with atomic number 35 (Br)

Bromine is a chemical element; it has symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between those of chlorine and iodine. Isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jérôme Balard, its name was derived from the Ancient Greek βρῶμος (bromos) meaning "stench", referring to its sharp and pungent smell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosin</span> Solid form of resin

Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch, is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black. At room temperature rosin is brittle, but it melts at stove-top temperature. It chiefly consists of various resin acids, especially abietic acid. The term colophony comes from colophonia resina, Latin for "resin from Colophon", an ancient Ionic city. It is an FDA approved food additive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abietic acid</span> Chemical compound

Abietic acid is a mild organic acid found in coniferous trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olestra</span> Fat substitute

Olestra is a fat substitute that adds no metabolizable calories to products. It has been used in the preparation of otherwise high-fat foods, thereby lowering or eliminating their fat content. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originally approved olestra for use in the US as a replacement for fats and oils in prepackaged ready-to-eat snacks in 1996, concluding that such use "meets the safety standard for food additives, reasonable certainty of no harm". In the late 2000s, olestra lost its popularity due to supposed side effects and has been largely phased out, but products containing the ingredient can still be purchased at grocery stores in some countries. As of 2024, no products using olestra are sold in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange soft drink</span> Type of carbonated drinks

Orange soft drinks are carbonated orange drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limca</span> Indian carbonated soft drink

Limca is an Indian multinational brand of lemon- and lime-flavoured carbonated soft drink made primarily in India and certain parts of the U.S. It contains 60 calories per 150ml can. The formula does not include fruit, relying instead on artificial flavours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erythrosine</span> Iodo-derivative of fluorone used as a pink dye

Erythrosine, also known as Red No. 3, is an organoiodine compound, specifically a derivative of fluorone. It is a pink dye which is primarily used for food coloring. It is the disodium salt of 2,4,5,7-tetraiodofluorescein. Its maximum absorbance is at 530 nm in an aqueous solution, and it is subject to photodegradation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium bromate</span> Chemical compound

Potassium bromate is a bromate of potassium and takes the form of white crystals or powder. It is a strong oxidizing agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propylparaben</span> Chemical compound

Propylparaben is the n-propyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. It occurs as a natural substance found in many plants and some insects. Additionally, it can be manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods. It is a member of the class of parabens and can be used as a preservative in many water-based cosmetics, such as creams, lotions, shampoos, and bath products. As a food additive, it has an E number, which is E216.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monoglyceride</span> Class of glycerides

Monoglycerides are a class of glycerides which are composed of a molecule of glycerol linked to a fatty acid via an ester bond. As glycerol contains both primary and secondary alcohol groups two different types of monoglycerides may be formed; 1-monoacylglycerols where the fatty acid is attached to a primary alcohol, or a 2-monoacylglycerols where the fatty acid is attached to the secondary alcohol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyglycerol polyricinoleate</span> Emulsion used in food production

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), E476, is an emulsifier made from glycerol and fatty acids. In chocolate, compound chocolate and similar coatings, PGPR is mainly used with another substance like lecithin to reduce viscosity. It is used at low levels, and works by decreasing the friction between the solid particles in molten chocolate, reducing the yield stress so that it flows more easily, approaching the behaviour of a Newtonian fluid. It can also be used as an emulsifier in spreads and in salad dressings, or to improve the texture of baked goods. It is made up of a short chain of glycerol molecules connected by ether bonds, with ricinoleic acid side chains connected by ester bonds.

Gum base is the non-nutritive, non-digestible, water-insoluble masticatory delivery system used to carry sweeteners, flavors, and any other substances in chewing gum and bubble gum. It provides all the basic textural and masticatory properties of gum.

Glycerol ester of wood rosin (or gum rosin), also known as glyceryl abietate or ester gum, is an oil-soluble food additive (E number E445). The food-grade material is used in foods, beverages, and cosmetics to keep oils in suspension in water, and its name may be shortened in the ingredient list as glycerol ester of rosin. It is also used as an ingredient in the production of chewing gum and ice cream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dough conditioner</span>

A dough conditioner, flour treatment agent, improving agent or bread improver is any ingredient or chemical added to bread dough to strengthen its texture or otherwise improve it in some way. Dough conditioners may include enzymes, yeast nutrients, mineral salts, oxidants and reductants, bleaching agents and emulsifiers. They are food additives combined with flour to improve baking functionality. Flour treatment agents are used to increase the speed of dough rising and to improve the strength and workability of the dough.

Glycerol monostearate, commonly known as GMS, is a monoglyceride commonly used as an emulsifier in foods. It takes the form of a white, odorless, and sweet-tasting flaky powder that is hygroscopic. Chemically it is the glycerol ester of stearic acid. It is also used as hydration powder in exercise formulas

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juice vesicles</span> Component of citrus pulp

The juice vesicles, also known as citrus kernels, “pearls”,, of a citrus fruit are the membranous content of the fruit's endocarp. The vesicles contain the juice of the fruit and appear shiny and sacklike. Vesicles come in two shapes: the superior and inferior, and these are distinct. Citrus fruit with more vesicles generally weighs more than those with fewer vesicles. Fruits with many segments, such as the grapefruit or pomelo, have more vesicles per segment than fruits with fewer segments, such as the kumquat and mandarin. Each vesicle in a segment in citrus fruits has approximately the same shape, size, and weight. About 5% of the weight of an average orange is made up of the membranes of the juice vesicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids</span> Emulsifier

Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) refers to a naturally occurring class of food additive composed of diglycerides and monoglycerides which is used as an emulsifier. It is also used as a fruit coating agent. This mixture is also sometimes referred to as partial glycerides.

Lactylates are organic compounds that are FDA approved for use as food additives and cosmetic ingredients, e.g. as food-grade emulsifiers. These additives are non-toxic, biodegradable, and typically manufactured using biorenewable feedstocks. Owing to their safety and versatile functionality, lactylates are used in a wide variety of food and non-food applications. In the United States, the Food Chemicals Codex specifies the labeling requirements for food ingredients including lactylates. In the European Union, lactylates must be labelled in accordance with the requirements of the applicable EU regulation. Lactylates may be labelled as calcium stearoyl lactylate (CSL), sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), or lactylic esters of fatty acids (LEFA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diglyceride</span> Type of fat derived from glycerol and two fatty acids

A diglyceride, or diacylglycerol (DAG), is a glyceride consisting of two fatty acid chains covalently bonded to a glycerol molecule through ester linkages. Two possible forms exist, 1,2-diacylglycerols and 1,3-diacylglycerols. Diglycerides are natural components of food fats, though minor in comparison to triglycerides. DAGs can act as surfactants and are commonly used as emulsifiers in processed foods. DAG-enriched oil has been investigated extensively as a fat substitute due to its ability to suppress the accumulation of body fat; with total annual sales of approximately USD 200 million in Japan since its introduction in the late 1990s till 2009.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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. "FDA Revokes Regulation Allowing the Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  6. California isn’t banning Skittles, but four additives will be removed by Marlene Cimons, Washington Post, Oct. 11, 2023. The article notes that Red dye No. 3, bromated vegetable oil, potassium bromate and propyl paraben all have been linked to risk of cancer and hyperactivity in children.
  7. "AB-418 The California Food Safety Act". ca.gov.
  8. Hernandez, Joe. "California becomes the first state to ban 4 food additives linked to disease". NPR. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  9. "List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses". Health Canada. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  10. "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.
  11. Friberg, Stig; Larsson, Kare; Sjoblom, Johan (2003-11-04). Food Emulsions. CRC Press. ISBN   978-0-203-91322-2.
  12. "Banned emulsifier in soft drink". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  13. "DIRECTORS' REPORT 1990-91". Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
  14. Horowitz BZ (1997). "Bromism from excessive cola consumption". Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology . 35 (3): 315–320. doi:10.3109/15563659709001219. PMID   9140329.
  15. Matthew Alice (1999-07-29). "Straight from the Hip: What is Brominated Vegetable Oil?". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 2007-09-17.