FDA Warning: Keep These Foods Out Of North Dakota Kitchens
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about an unsafe food product that still appears in some of the nation's sodas.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is a food product that is still found in some off-brand diet sodas. The product has been modified with bromine to keep the oils companies use for flavoring from separating.
BVO has already been outlawed in both Europe and Japan. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent consumer advocacy organization, PepsiCo agreed in 2013 to remove BVO from Gatorade, and in 2014 both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo announced they would remove the ingredient from all their beverages.
The FDA says many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient.
Studies have linked long-term consumption of BVO with neurobehavioral issues in humans and thyroid toxicity in rats.
As far as a reason for the announcement over the modified food product, the FDA says "Although BVO has a long history of use in foods and was at one time considered [Generally Recognized As Safe], we have continued to study it to understand any potential health impacts".
Some Great Value-brand sodas and Sun Drop citrus sodas are known to have BVO in their ingredients. You can read the full press release from the FDA on their official website by clicking here.
To find out if you have BVO in your diet soft drinks, the FDA advises checking the ingredients on the label, which should be near the bottom. Risk is minimal; however, if you are concerned, consult a medical professional.
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