Ingredient Information

Function

Brominated vegetable oil, BVO is an emulsifier used in citrus flavored soda, sports drinks, and other beverages. It all has to do with getting citrus flavor particles, which are oil based, to stop from floating to the surface. Brominated vegetable oil has atoms of bromine attached to the oil molecules simply to make them heavy. These heavier, brominated oil molecules cling to the flavor molecules and stop them from floating, suspending them evenly throughout the liquid. That is what gives these drinks their cloudy appearance.

Manufacturers can legally add brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to citrus-flavored beverages in the United States and Canada in controlled amounts (no more than 15 parts per million (ppm) by weight). However, BVO is banned in more than 100 countries.

Other Use and Industries

Brominated vegetable oil is used in soft drinks. However, Bromine in general is used in Pesticides, plastics, toothpastes, some medications (inhalers, nasal sprays), mouthwashes, hair dyes, textile dyes, fire retardant, hot tubs and swimming pool treatments.

Health Effects

Bromine is a toxic substance. There are many who claim that brominated vegetable oil has negative health effects and should not be used. One aspect of the argument is that the bromine accumulates in the body in fat tissue. Bromine is close to iodine and the thyroid will absorb it if iodine is not available.

BVO can result in an increase in triglycerides associated with heart and skeletal muscles as well as decrease the plasma concentration of HDL or good cholesterol. BVO can also depress fatty acid oxidation that is catalysed by Acetyl CoA coenzymes. Both these effects can ultimately result in atherosclerosis. Consumption of brominated vegetable oils can also cause depression in appetite and loss of body weight. Studies on experimental animals shows that consumption of brominated vegetable oils leads to excessive storage of bromine in fatty tissues. kidneys, liver and heart. Liver tissue in these animals showed fatty degeneration and some amount of cell death was seen in heart muscle tissue. Some of the test animals also showed atrophy (reduction in size and loss of function) of testes. Consumption of brominated vegetable oil also resulted in reduced litter sizes in rats. Consumption of brominated vegetable oil also causes degradation of fats in the heart.

There are many possible adverse affects to consuming a brominated product, but so far, no studies have been conclusive enough to change the status of brominated vegetable oil as an approved additive.

Sometimes the oil used may be soy therefore a soy warning.

Origins

BVO is a solution that is made up of vegetable oil that has atoms of the element bromine bonded to it. The addition of bromine adds density to the oil. The amount of bromine is controlled to achieve the same density as water in a drink. Thus, the BVO remains suspended, rather than blending with the oils. It has been used in the soft drink industry since 1931.