Tag: Food additive regulation

Back in 2014, The Coca-Cola Company announced it was phasing out the controversial ingredient brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from its Powerade products. While Powerade no longer contains BVO, many consumers remain concerned about what they are putting into their bodies. The recent US FDA ban on BVO solidifies the reason for its removal.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has openly acknowledged the limitations of its oversight regarding chemicals in the food supply, revealing the central issue behind the loophole for food additives. This regulatory shortcut, known as the 'Generally Recognized as Safe' (GRAS) process, enables food and chemical companies to introduce new substances into products without undergoing the rigorous pre-market safety review that is standard for other additives. This has led to the introduction of potentially unsafe or inadequately tested chemicals into the market, prompting widespread public health concerns and calls for reform.