US bans soft-drink food additive. Canada to follow suit soon

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week banned the use of brominated vegetable oil, an ingredient once commonly added to citrus-flavoured carbonated drinks. It joins a growing list of nations that have done so, though Canada is not yet among them.

The substance, also known as BVO, has been added to carbonated drinks since the 1930s to ensure that citrus flavouring agents remain suspended in the liquid and don’t float to the top.

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However, studies on animals have shown the oil can build up in fat tissues when consumed and can disrupt proper thyroid functioning. The FDA cited a recent toxicology report in its decision.

“The proposed action is an example of how the agency monitors emerging evidence 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,” James Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for human foods, said last year when announcing the proposed ban.

Countries that have banned BVO include Britain (since 1970) India (1990), Japan (2010), and the European Union. Canada is not yet on that list, but in May of this year Health Canada announced a proposal to remove BVO from its list of permitted food additives with other accepted uses.

The Post has contacted Health Canada for comment but has not heard back as of publication. However, the proposal suggests the ban will take effect sometime this year. It’s not clear if any soft drinks sold in Canada currently contain BVO.

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Most major soft drink companies are ahead of the game. In 2013 Pepsi announced it would remove BVO from its Gatorade drinks after consumer complaints. The following year both Pepsi and Coke, which makes Powerade, said they would stop using it in their entire product lines.

“Over the years many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the U.S. contain BVO,” said Jones.

Substitutes include glycerol ester of wood rosin and locust bean gum.

Health Canada posted on its website: “Previous laboratory studies had reported adverse effects on certain organs, for example the liver, heart or thyroid, of animals orally given BVO, but these effects were seen at much higher doses than humans would get from beverages that contain BVO as a food additive.”

Referencing a 2022 study, it added: “Given that adverse effects previously observed at higher doses have now been seen at lower doses, Health Canada concluded that BVO should not continue to be permitted for use as a food additive.”

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