What ingredient is banned in soda? A detailed guide to BVO

October 4, 2025 •

4 min read

In a landmark decision in July 2024, the FDA officially banned the food additive brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a controversial ingredient once common in many citrus-flavored soft drinks. This action provides a definitive answer to the question of what ingredient is banned in soda, stemming from decades of safety concerns and studies showing potential health risks.

Quick Summary

The FDA banned brominated vegetable oil (BVO), an emulsifier formerly used in citrus-flavored sodas, citing health risks like thyroid issues and bromine toxicity. Major beverage companies have already replaced BVO with alternatives such as SAIB and glycerol ester of wood rosin, with the full ban taking effect in 2025.

Key Points

Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is the banned ingredient: The FDA officially banned this additive in July 2024, citing health concerns.
BVO is a stabilizer for citrus flavors: It was used in sodas and sports drinks to prevent flavoring oils from separating and floating to the top.
Health concerns include thyroid and nervous system damage: Studies showed BVO could accumulate in the body's fat tissue, leading to potential thyroid disruption and bromine toxicity.
The ban has been long-awaited: After being removed from the GRAS list in 1970, BVO's use was regulated but not fully banned until recently, following pressure and bans in other countries.
Major brands already removed BVO years ago: Companies like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola voluntarily phased out the ingredient starting around 2014.
Safer alternatives are now standard: Manufacturers use emulsifiers such as sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) and glycerol ester of wood rosin (GEWR) instead.
The ban takes effect in 2025: The full enforcement date for the FDA ban is August 2025, with manufacturers given a grace period for compliance.

Understanding Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)

Brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, is a synthetic food additive made by bonding the element bromine to vegetable oil. For many years, it was utilized primarily in citrus-flavored sodas and sports drinks to serve a very specific purpose: stabilization. In beverages where the flavorings are oil-based and the main liquid is water, the oils can separate and float to the surface, a process known as 'ringing.' BVO's high density allows it to mix with the flavor oils, creating an emulsion that keeps the ingredients evenly suspended throughout the liquid, ensuring a uniform appearance and taste.

The Health Concerns That Led to the Ban

Concerns over BVO's safety are not new and date back several decades. In 1970, the FDA removed BVO from its 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS) list due to preliminary safety questions. While its use was temporarily permitted under certain conditions, a growing body of scientific evidence pointed to potential health issues, primarily linked to the accumulation of bromine in the body. Animal studies have shown that BVO can build up in fatty tissues and organs like the heart, liver, and brain over time.

Specific health risks identified include:

Thyroid Issues: Studies on rodents showed a link between BVO consumption and negative effects on the thyroid gland, which is crucial for regulating metabolism. The accumulated bromine can interfere with the thyroid's ability to properly utilize iodine.
Nervous System Effects: Excessive bromine accumulation can lead to a condition known as bromine toxicity, with symptoms including headaches, fatigue, memory loss, and loss of muscle coordination. While most severe cases are from occupational exposure, prolonged, high consumption of BVO-containing sodas has been documented to cause such effects.
Reproductive Harm: Early studies from the 1980s showed that high doses of BVO caused reproductive harm in test animals.

These concerns, coupled with long-standing bans in other countries and evolving public awareness, prompted the recent definitive action by regulators.

The Timeline of the BVO Ban

The prohibition of BVO is not a new concept globally. Several countries and regions took action long before the recent U.S. ruling.

United Kingdom: Banned BVO in 1970.
India: Prohibited BVO use in soft drinks in 1990.
European Union: Banned the additive in 2008.
Japan: BVO was banned in Japan in 2010.
California: Passed the California Food Safety Act in 2023, banning several additives including BVO, effective in 2027.

The slow pace of regulation in the United States, allowing BVO's continued use for decades after its initial safety concerns surfaced, has been a point of criticism. However, the tide has turned dramatically in recent years.

Voluntary Phase-Out and Final FDA Action

By the early 2010s, facing public pressure and petitions, major beverage companies began to voluntarily remove BVO from their products. For example, Coca-Cola announced its plan to remove BVO from all its products by the end of 2014, and PepsiCo pledged a similar move for its brands like Gatorade. In December 2023, the FDA formally proposed revoking authorization for BVO's use in food, solidifying this shift. The final rule was announced in July 2024, with manufacturers given one year to comply, ensuring that by August 2025, no products in the U.S. will contain BVO.

BVO Alternatives and Their Safety

As manufacturers phased out BVO, they turned to safer, well-tested alternatives to achieve the same emulsifying effect. These substitutes are already widely used in both the U.S. and countries where BVO has been banned for years. Common replacements include:

Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate (SAIB): A synthetic emulsifier that stabilizes flavors effectively and has a long history of safe use.
Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin (GEWR): A natural emulsifier derived from pine tree resin, also commonly used in chewing gum.
Gum Arabic (Acacia Gum): A natural gum sourced from the acacia tree, known for its stabilizing properties and pleasant mouthfeel.
Locust Bean Gum: Another natural gum used for stabilizing and thickening.
Sunflower Lecithin: A natural emulsifier derived from sunflower seeds that is also non-GMO and allergen-free.

Comparison of BVO vs. Modern Alternatives


Feature	Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)	Modern Alternatives (e.g., SAIB, GEWR)
Primary Function	Flavor stabilizer and emulsifier	Flavor stabilizer and emulsifier
Health Concerns	Linked to thyroid and nervous system damage due to bromine accumulation	No significant health concerns identified at approved levels
Regulatory Status	Banned or restricted in many countries including EU, Japan, and now the US	Widely approved for use in most countries
Composition	Vegetable oil modified with bromine	Various substances including sucrose ester, wood resin ester, natural gums
Industry Use	Historically used in citrus sodas; phased out by major brands	Current industry standard for emulsifying flavorings

Navigating the Shift for Consumers

For most consumers, the transition away from BVO is largely complete, as major brands made the change years ago. However, some smaller or store-brand products may have been slower to reformulate. The FDA ban, with its implementation deadline, ensures that all new products will be BVO-free. This change demonstrates a positive trend in prioritizing public health through updated food safety regulations.

The Broader Impact of the Ban

This ban on what ingredient is banned in soda reflects a larger shift towards more proactive and science-based food safety regulations. It shows that public petitions and consumer advocacy can influence large corporations and government bodies to re-evaluate long-standing practices. The proactive reformulation by many companies ahead of the mandatory ban highlights a growing responsiveness to consumer health concerns. For an in-depth report on the process, consult the Center for Science in the Public Interest's work on this issue.

Conclusion

The definitive answer to what ingredient is banned in soda is brominated vegetable oil (BVO). This additive, once used to stabilize citrus flavors, has been banned by the FDA and other global regulators due to proven health risks related to bromine accumulation. The move marks a crucial step in modernizing food safety standards and protecting consumer well-being, as manufacturers replace BVO with safer, well-tested alternatives. Consumers can rest assured that this potentially harmful additive is being permanently removed from the food supply, making their beverages safer for consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a synthetic food additive made by bonding bromine to vegetable oil. Its primary function was to act as an emulsifier and stabilizer for citrus-flavored drinks, preventing the oil-based flavorings from separating from the water.

BVO was banned due to long-standing health concerns regarding the accumulation of bromine in body fat, which can lead to bromine toxicity. Studies linked high consumption to potential thyroid damage, nervous system effects, and reproductive harm in animal tests.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the official ban in July 2024. The rule gives manufacturers one year to reformulate, meaning the full ban will be enforced starting in August 2025.

Manufacturers have switched to safer, approved alternatives such as sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB), glycerol ester of wood rosin (GEWR), and natural gums like gum arabic. These ingredients provide the same emulsifying properties without the associated health risks.

While major beverage brands voluntarily phased out BVO years ago, some smaller or store-brand products continued to use it. The new FDA ban ensures that all products sold in the U.S. after August 2025 must be BVO-free.

Potassium bromate is primarily used as a flour improver in baked goods, not in soda. While it is a separate ingredient banned in the EU and potentially in certain US states, it is not the ingredient relevant to the FDA's recent ban on soda additives.

Historically, brands like Mountain Dew, Fanta, and Powerade contained BVO. However, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have since removed the ingredient from their products in the face of public pressure and evolving health standards.