Brominated vegetable oil facts for kids
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a special kind of oil made from plants. It has a chemical element called bromine added to it. BVO is mainly used in fizzy drinks that taste like citrus fruits. It helps keep the drink's ingredients mixed together. This stops the flavor oils from floating to the top.
BVO has been used in soft drinks since 1931. It's usually added in very small amounts. Because BVO is heavier than water, it helps citrus flavors blend perfectly. This way, the flavor droplets stay mixed in the drink. They don't separate and float on top. Other ingredients that do a similar job include SAIB and ester gum.
Rules for Using BVO
In the United States
In the United States, BVO was once considered safe to use in food. This was in 1958. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed this rule in 1970. Now, there are strict limits on how much BVO can be in food. It can't be more than 15 parts per million (ppm).
Many people wanted BVO removed from drinks. An online petition asked PepsiCo to stop using BVO in Gatorade. Over 200,000 people signed it. The petition noted that Gatorade was already sold without BVO in other countries. In 2013, PepsiCo announced it would stop using BVO in Gatorade.
By 2014, both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo said they would remove BVO from their products. As of 2020, most Mountain Dew drinks do not contain BVO. However, a special "Mountain Dew Throwback" sometimes still has it.
BVO is still found in some other drinks. These include Sun Drop and certain store-brand citrus sodas. It is less common in non-fizzy drinks. The FDA lists BVO as one of four "interim food additives." This means its use is allowed but still under review.
In Canada
In Canada, BVO is allowed in drinks. But it can only be in beverages that contain citrus or spruce oils.
In Europe
The European Union has banned BVO as a food additive. If products with BVO are found, they are removed from stores. Instead of BVO, companies in Europe use other ingredients. These include glycerol ester of wood rosin or locust bean gum.
In India
India has not allowed BVO in soft drinks since 1990.
In Japan
Japan banned the use of BVO as a food additive in 2010.
