A toxic food additive used in dozens of sodas could be banned under a proposal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The agency said a review of brominated vegetable oil — used to help with citrus flavoring — found it was no longer considered safe for human consumption.
Previous studies had linked the additive to neurological problems such as headaches and issues with the nervous systems and problems with the thyroid — a gland in the chest responsible for regulating the metabolism.
It used to be in Gatorade, Fanta and Mountain Dew — and still remains in Sun Drop and dozens of own-brand sodas including Mountain Lightning sold in Walmart and Orange Diet Soda sold at Food Lion.
It comes after California passed a law banning the use of this additive — along with three others — with New York also considering similar legislation. The agency said it was reviewing all the additives included in the California law including red dye no.3, which is used in some candies like Candy corn and Peeps.
Brominated vegetable oil is used in drinks including some Sun Drop sodas
The agency said: ‘Today, the FDA proposed to revoke the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil in food.
‘The FDA is issuing a proposed rule now because the agency has recent data from studies it conducted that demonstrate adverse health effects in animals at levels more closely approximating real-world human exposure.
‘Based on these data and remaining unresolved safety questions, the FDA can no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe.’
The agency cited animal studies in its proposal showing animals exposed to similar levels of brominated vegetable oil as humans are had changes to their thyroid.
The additive is currently licensed for use in small amounts in beverages to stop citrus flavoring separating from the drink and floating to the top.
It lost its ‘generally safe’ status in the 1970s, with regulators monitoring studies since then to determine whether it poses a risk to human health.
The European Union outlawed the use of brominated vegetable oil in its sodas in 2008.
Campaigners today heralded the move as ‘encouraging’ — but urged the FDA to take more action.
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports which has campaigned tirelessly to get dangerous additives removed from products, said: ‘The evidence is clear that brominated vegetable oil in sodas and other beverages poses an unacceptable risk to our health.
‘Toxic additives like BVO that have been shown to pose toxic risks to the thyroid and other chronic health problems should not be allowed in our food.
‘We’re encouraged that the FDA has re-examined recent studies documenting the health risks posed by BVO and is taking action to prohibit its use.’
The proposed rule to ban brominated vegetable oil will be published tomorrow in the federal register — the official record of government actions.
It will then enter a 75-day comment period where stakeholders — such as soda companies — can submit responses to the proposed rule.
These will then be reviewed by the FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before they decide whether to sign off on the move.
Mr Ronholm told .com that this process could take up to a year and that it was possible the initial comment period could be extended.
He added: ‘The review process can take a while, depending on the type of comments that they get. It is possible we are looking at almost a year.’
Previous studies have shown long-term exposure to brominated vegetable oil can harm the body’s central nervous system. It has been linked to the development of chronic headaches, memory loss and impaired balance.
Red Dye No.3 is a food dye included in many candies to enhance their color.
Since the early 1980s, studies have shown it can cause cancer in lab animals in very high doses and has been linked to behavioral issues in children.
It was banned in cosmetic products in 1990 for these reasons, but remains in many foods and sweets including pastries and breakfast cereals.
A 2012 study from Brazilian researchers found Red No. 3 could cause genotoxicity — when the DNA suffers toxic damage — and causes permanent transmissible changes to strains as well.
In 2020, California’s Environmental Protection Agency found children who consumed REd 3 regularly were more likely to suffer from hyperactivity and inattentiveness.
And a 2016 study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina found that the dye was being used in 11.1 percent of candy products.