PepsiCo Takes Brominated Vegetable Oil Out of Gatorade

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Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson

January 25, 2013

Brominated vegetable oil is a poorly tested and possibly dangerous food additive, and there's no reason to use it in Gatorade or other drinks. After all, safe substitutes are used in Europe and elsewhere. It's crazy that the Food and Drug Administration has let BVO linger in the food supply on an "interim" basis for 42 years. It has long been used in Fanta Orange, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and other beverages to keep flavor oils in suspension and provide a cloudy appearance.

I applaud PepsiCo for doing the responsible thing and voluntarily getting it out of Gatorade without waiting for government officials to require it to do so. That said, Gatorade without BVO is nutritionally no better than with it. A typical 20-ounce bottle has 130 calories, all from its 34 grams of refined sugars, which promote obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.