FDA Finally Bans Ingredient Used in Sodas, After Potential for Adverse Health Effects First Identified in 1970 [Video]

Questions arise about FDA’s ability to prioritize safety and incentivize innovation.

Last fall, California passed “The Food Safety Act,” one of the myriad rules and regulations Sacramento generates while it fails to resolve immigration, crime, and infrastructure issues. The rules banned four chemicals from foods, including brominated vegetable oils (BVOs).

The legislation, also known as Assembly Bill 418 (AB 418), specifically prohibits the sale of food containing red dye 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben. California Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-46), the original author of AB 418, and Governor Newsom cited the EU’s ban of the four chemicals in their reasoning for introducing and signing the bill into law, respectively.

Studies have suggested the additives may be linked to serious health harms, such as cancer, reproductive issues, and childhood behavioral and developmental problems.

BVO is mainly used in fruit-flavored drinks to keep flavor oils in suspension and give the product a cloudy appearance. …