FDA bans ingredient found in some citrus-flavored sodas

Food and beverage makers will no longer be allowed to use brominated vegetable oil as an ingredient in their products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

Modified with the chemical bromine and used to keep flavoring from floating to the top of citrus drinks, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food is no longer considered safe, the regulatory agency said in a statement. 

The rule takes effect on Aug. 2, 2024, with manufacturers given another year to reformulate, relabel and deplete their inventories of BVO-containing products before the agency starts enforcing its ban, the FDA said.