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]
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.
Brominated vegetable oil has the CAS number 8016-94-2 and the EC number 232-416-5. [3]
In the United States, BVO was designated in 1958 as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), [2] but this was withdrawn by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1970. [4] The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations currently imposes restrictions on the use of BVO as a food additive in the United States, limiting the concentration to 15 ppm, [5] limiting the amount of free fatty acids to 2.5 percent, and limiting the iodine value to 16. [6]
An online petition at Change.org asking PepsiCo to stop adding BVO to Gatorade and other products collected over 200,000 signatures by January 2013. [7] The petition pointed out that since Gatorade is sold in countries where BVO is not approved, there was already an existing formulation without this ingredient. PepsiCo announced in January 2013 that it would no longer use BVO in Gatorade. [8] [9] As of 2023, the companies behind many large beverage brands, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have stopped using the ingredient, but it is still found in some smaller grocery store brands. [10]
On May 5, 2014, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo said they would remove BVO from their products. [11] As of early 2020, PepsiCo has stopped using BVO in all its products. [12]
BVO is still used in Sun Drop, made by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. [13] Numerous generic citrus sodas also use it, including Stars & Stripes orange soda from Dollar Tree, [14] Mountain Lightning and Orangette from Walmart, and Clover Valley from Dollar General. BVO is much less frequently used as an emulsifier in non-carbonated drinks, such as flavoring syrups for caffeinated beverages [15] and specialty juices. [16]
BVO is one of four substances that the FDA has defined as "interim" food additives; [17] [18] the other three are acrylonitrile copolymers, mannitol, and saccharin. [19]
In May 2023, New York considered banning the use of brominated vegetable oil in foods because it acts as an endocrine disruptor, especially affecting the thyroid hormone and may also harm the reproductive system. [10]
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 is the first law in the U.S. to ban it, and will possibly have nationwide effects. [20] The ban of its use in foods will go into effect in 2027. [21] [22]
In November 2023, the FDA proposed revoking its authorization of BVO for use as an additive in food products. The reason for the proposed revocation is due to health issues associated with BVO, which can include headaches and nervous system damage. [23]
In Canada, BVO is currently permitted as a food additive, but only in beverages containing citrus or spruce oils. [24]
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; [25] [26] and any BVO-containing products that may slip through the regulations are pulled from shelves upon discovery. [27] 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. [28]
In Japan, the use of BVO as a food additive has been banned since 2010. [2]
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. [29] 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. [30]
Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas originally contained caffeine from the kola nut, leading to the drink's name, though other sources of caffeine are generally used in modern formulations. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His non-alcoholic recipe was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863.
A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute, or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia. William H. "Bill" Jones of the Tip Corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961. In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, and the distribution expanded across the United States and Canada.
Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as variations in oranges used, some varieties include differing amounts of juice vesicles, known as "pulp" in American English, and "(juicy) bits" in British English. These vesicles contain the juice of the orange and can be left in or removed during the manufacturing process. How juicy these vesicles are depend upon many factors, such as species, variety, and season. In American English, the beverage name is often abbreviated as "OJ".
Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum or the vine of Smilax ornata as the primary flavor. Root beer is typically, but not exclusively, non-alcoholic, caffeine-free, sweet, and carbonated. Like cola, it usually has a thick and foamy head. A common use is to add vanilla ice cream to make a root beer float.
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first developed in 1965 by a team of researchers led by Dr. Robert Cade. It was originally made for the Gators at the University of Florida to replenish the carbohydrates that the school's student-athletes burned and the combination of water and electrolytes that they lost in sweat during vigorous sports activities.
Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.
Starburst is the brand name of a box-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, which is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Starburst has many different varieties, such as Tropical, Sour, FaveREDs, Watermelon, Very Berry, Superfruit, Summer Blast and Original.
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of its products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc., PepsiCo has since expanded from its namesake product Pepsi Cola to an immensely diversified range of food and beverage brands. The largest and most recent acquisition was Pioneer Foods in 2020 for US$1.7 billion and prior to it was buying the Quaker Oats Company in 2001, which added the Gatorade brand to the Pepsi portfolio and Tropicana Products in 1998.
Orange soft drinks are carbonated orange drinks.
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.
Potassium bromate is a bromate of potassium and takes the form of white crystals or powder. It is a strong oxidizing agent.
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.
Drink mixers are the non-alcoholic ingredients in mixed drinks and cocktails. Mixers dilute the drink, lowering the alcohol by volume in the drink. They change, enhance, or add new flavors to a drink. They may make the drink sweeter, more sour, or more savory. Some mixers change the texture or consistency of the drink, making it thicker or more watery. Drink mixers may also be used strictly for decorative purposes by changing the color or appearance of the drink. They also simply increase the volume of a drink, to make it last longer.
Sucrose acetoisobutyrate (SAIB) is an emulsifier and has E number E444. In the United States, SAIB is categorized as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food additive in cocktail mixers, beer, malt beverages, or wine coolers and is a potential replacement for brominated vegetable oil.
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.