Coca-Cola finally eliminating this chemical from its products

For a long time Coca-Cola has received scrutiny for putting the chemical brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in its beverage products. Now, the company has come forth to say that it will finally be removing the controversial ingredient from its Powerade sports drinks.

The change was confirmed with a representative from Coca-Cola though no details about the decision have been made public. The beverage reform comes on the heels of a petition regarding brominated vegetable oil that reach 60,000 signatures Monday morning.

SEE ALSO: BVO: potentially dangerous chemical found in commercial beverages

Last year, a similar petition was circulated asking PepsiCo to remove BVO from their products, and the company also responded positively to the public’s concerns and removed the chemical from Gatorade products.

The concerns about BVO

Why are there such concerns about BVO? Well, for starters, it’s from the same chemical family as flame-retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). These chemicals have been shown in research to build up within the body disrupting normal hormone function, leading to problems with brain development in children, and causing complications with fertility, thyroid function, and cancer.

While there is limited research on low levels of BVO in humans, high consumption of this synthetic substance have been linked with serious health issues. WebMD reports that a number of individual cases have been seen throughout the years of people with bromide abnormalities who had high rates of sports drink or soda consumption. One man, observed back in 2003, developed a a rare case of the skin condition bromoderma after blood tests revealed his bromine was about twice normal limits. The man admitted drinking about 8 liters of Ruby Red Squirt, which contains BVO, each day.

The FDA indicates BVO exposure can result in:

• Memory loss
• Nerve disorders
• Fatigue
• Severe acne
• Loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Thyroid complications
• Increased risk for certain cancers
• Skin lesions

Previously, soda companies maintained that the amount of BVO in their products was considered safe because it fell within the FDA’s regulatory allowances.

“This is a safe ingredient approved by the FDA, which is used in some citrus-based beverages,” said to Scientific American, Christopher Gindlesperger of the American Beverage Association, “Importantly, consumers can rest assured that our products are safe and our industry adheres to all government regulations.”

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The elimination of BVO from popular products such as Pwerade and Gatorade is a step in the right direction, but brominated vegetable oil is found in many different sodas in the United States, including Mountain Dew,Fanta Orange, Sunkist Pineapple, Fresca and all flavors of Squirt.