Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Agree to Remove Flame Retardant Chemical from Their Products
By Dr. Mercola
Bowing to public pressure, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have both agreed to
remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from all of their beverages in the
near future. BVO was first patented as a flame retardant, but has also
been added to many American sodas for decades.
The problem is recent research shows that bromine builds up in your body, and in breast milk.
BVO has resulted in some soda-drinkers requiring medical attention
for skin lesions, memory loss, and nerve problems related to bromine
overexposure, which is why Europe and Japan have banned this chemical from their food and beverages.
Public pressure to remove BVO was suddenly fueled by a 2012 petition
with more than 20,000 supporters, initiated by then-15-year-old girl
Sarah Kavanagh who wanted chemicals removed from sports drinks like
Gatorade.1
This is a great reminder about what a powerful force consumer
pressure can be. If a 15-year-old girl can push through a petition with
this much consequence, consider what YOU can do by voting with your
pocket book, each and every day!
Out with BVO—In with Franken-Rosins
Coca-Cola vowed to remove BVO from its drinks by the end of 2014, but
at present, it still appears to be included in some of Coca-Cola's
products,2 specifically Fanta Orange, Fanta Orange Zero, and Fresca Original Citrus.
PepsiCo removed BVO from Gatorade in 2013 and, following Coco-Cola’s
May 5, 2014 announcement, said it would be dropping the chemical from
the rest of its products, although it did not give a time frame.3
Coca-Cola says they add BVO to improve the stability of soft drinks,
especially those with citrus flavorings. According to the San Diego
Reader, “Without BVO, your favorite lemony-limy soda would look like the
Gulf of Alaska in the wake of the Exxon-Valdez.4
Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi companies deny that their decisions to
remove BVO are in any way health-related. Coca-Cola says it plans to
replace BVO with sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) and glycerol ester
of rosin (GEGR and GEWR).
The safety of these additives is debatable, as very few studies
exist. Gum rosins received a negative safety rating by the European Food
Safety Authority.5 Meanwhile, Germany and other countries have found safer, more natural substitutes for BVO.
For example, food chemist Walter Vetter at Germany's University of
Hohenheim suggests American soda makers could easily replace BVO with
hydrocolloids, which are used in many European sodas. Hydrocolloids are
natural agents that achieve similar results, minus the health risks.6
It isn't clear why American beverage manufacturers are unwilling to
swap out BVO for something like a hydrocolloid, but I would guess that
their unwillingness to change most likely has something to do the cost.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Are Not the Only Beverage Companies Adding BVO
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
is vegetable oil, derived from corn or soy and bonded with the element
bromine. It's added to beverages as an emulsifier, to prevent the
flavorings from separating and floating to the surface.
According to Scientific American,7 the numerous bromine atoms in BVO weigh down the citrus flavoring so that it mixes with sugar water, or in the case of flame retardants, slows down chemical reactions that cause a fire (the effectiveness of which is debatable, by the way).
Brominated flame retardants have lately undergone intense scrutiny,
because research has shown that they are building up in people's bodies,
including women's breast milk, around the world.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi aren't the only beverages that contain this
potentially hazardous ingredient, though.BVO is added to about 10
percent of all sodas sold in the US, as well as many energy and sports
drinks and fruit drinks, including but not limited to the following
brands:8,9
| Diet Mountain Dew |
Mountain Dew |
Fanta Orange |
| Sunkist Pineapple |
Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange |
Fresca Original Citrus |
| Powerade Fruit Punch and Strawberry Lemonade |
Fresca Original Citrus |
Crush Orange Soda |
| Safeway Grapefruit Diet Soda |
Diet Sundrop |
Squirt |
| Many Amp Energy Drinks |
Great Value Sports Drinks |
Wegmans Fruit Punch |
| Safeway Tom Collins Mix |
|
|
Beyond Soda, There Are Several Other Sources of Bromine
BVO is not the only source of bromine exposure you should be
concerned about. You can be exposed to other forms from a variety of
sources and products, from brominated flour to your asthma medication:
| Pesticides(specifically methyl bromide, used mainly on strawberries, predominantly in California) |
Baked goods and flour: potassium bromate is added to many as a "dough conditioner"10,11 |
Drugs such as Atrovent Inhaler, Atrovent Nasal Spray, Pro-Banthine (for ulcers), and anesthesia agents |
| Plastics, like those used to make computers and some polyethylene beverage bottles |
Flame retardants used in fabrics, carpets, upholstery, mattresses, and children's products |
Swimming pools and hot tubs: many use bromine-based treatments |
Bromine Can Do Significant Damage to Your Thyroid
Bromines are endocrine disruptors, and part of the halide family, a
group of elements that also includes fluorine, chlorine, and iodine.
Studies suggest that BVO can build up in human tissues, and animal
studies have linked large doses to reproductive and behavioral issues.
One characteristic of bromine that makes it detrimental to your health
is that it competes for the same receptors your body uses to capture
iodine. If you are exposed to a lot of bromine, your body will not hold
on to iodine, which is needed by every tissue, including your thyroid gland.
Iodine is crucial for
proper thyroid function. Without iodine, your thyroid gland would be
completely unable to produce thyroid hormone. Thirteen million Americans
are estimated to have hypothyroidism, but the actual number is probably
higher. Some experts claim that 10 to 40 percent of Americans have
suboptimal thyroid function.
If you are one of those with suboptimal thyroid, your thyroid gland
itself may not be the problem. You may instead be suffering from iodine
deficiency brought on by inadequate consumption of iodine-rich foods
and/or excessive bromine exposure, which ends up blocking your iodine
uptake. This problem appears in conventional blood tests as a glandular
problem, but is actually a problem of nutrition and/or toxicity.
The Risks of Bromine Reach Well Beyond Your Thyroid
The buildup of bromine in your body can result in iodine deficiency and bromine toxicity12 that can manifest a variety of serious health problems over time, including the following:
- Increased cancer risk: Iodine deficiency can increase your risk for cancers of the thyroid gland, breast,13 ovary, and prostate as a result of "bromide dominance"14
- Infertility: One animal study found that rats
receiving one percent BVO in their feed suffered impaired fertility, and
at two percent, they became completely infertile15
- Psychological/psychiatric problems: Because bromine
is a central nervous system depressant, it can produce acute paranoia,
psychosis, and other types of mental illness. In an audio interview,
physician Jorge Flechas reported that between 1920 and 1960, at least 20
percent of all hospital admissions for "acute paranoid schizophrenia"
were a result of common bromine exposure16
- Skin rashes and lesions (bromoderma tuberosum): Severe acne, folliculitis, papules, pustules, and other skin eruptions17
- Miscellaneous other problems: Fatigue, anorexia, abdominal pain, metallic taste, and cardiac arrhythmias (triggered by iodine depletion)18
Scientific American19
cites two case studies that illustrate how bromine toxicity can
threaten your health. In 1997, emergency room doctors at University of
California, Davis, reported a patient with severe bromine intoxication
from drinking two to four liters of orange soda every day. He developed
headaches, fatigue, ataxia (loss of muscle coordination), and memory
loss.20
Then in 2003, a 63-year-old Ohio man developed ulcers on his swollen
hands after drinking eight liters of Red Ruby Squirt every day for
several months. The man was diagnosed with bromoderma, a rare skin
hypersensitivity to bromine exposure. The patient quit drinking the
brominated soft drink and months later recovered.21
Government and Industry Claim BVO Is 'Safe Enough'
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted the use of BVO on
an interim basis—meaning, temporary approval pending additional study—way back in 1970.22
This effectively means they did not feel there was enough evidence to
support the designation of GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) without
further scientific investigation. But four decades is not temporary! Yes,
44 years later, those studies have not been done and BVO is STILL on
the "interim" list. Why? It boils down to one more example of how FDA
favors policies that protect big industry at the expense of public
health.
According to the FDA, changing the status of BVO would be costly and
is "not a public health priority" at this time. Other food additives
that are in similar FDA limbo include saccharin, mannitol, and
acrylonitrile. You are swimming in a sea of chemicals that are
essentially untested—well, you and your children ARE the test subjects...23
In 1977, FDA established what it considered to be a safe limit for
BVO in beverages—15 parts per million. But some scientists say that
limit is based on thin data that is several decades old and should be
revised.24,25
Toxicity testing has changed significantly over the past few decades.
It is now possible to observe neurodevelopmental, hormonal, and
reproductive changes across multiple generations of laboratory animals,
not possible decades ago.
Why Ditching Soda Should Be a Crucial Step in Your Health Plan
There are many reasons to banish soda from your diet, beyond BVO.
Soda and other sweetened commercial beverages have essentially no
nutritional benefits, but are loaded with other chemical additives and
high amounts of refined sugar, typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup—or even worse, artificial sweeteners.
The average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least
half of which is fructose, so one can of soda alone exceeds your daily
recommended allotment of fructose (15 grams/day) if you're insulin
resistant, which about 80 percent of Americans are.
Excess sugar has been unequivocally linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and many other serious health problems, so the less sugar you consume, the better.
In order to break free, you may need to address the emotional component of your food cravings using tools such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). You can even tap along with Julie in the guided EFT video above. Be sure to check out our Turbo Tapping
article, which is an extremely effective and simple tool to squelch
your soda addiction quickly and painlessly. The most effective way to
eliminate sugar cravings for good is to teach your body to use fat for fuel. Ditching carbs and adding healthy fat is a key component of this, which I discuss in my optimized nutrition plan. Intermittent fasting can also help your body make the transition from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary source of fuel.
As for beverages, remember that nothing beats pure water when it
comes to serving your body's needs for fluids. If you really feel the
urge for a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a
squirt of lime or lemon juice, or sweetened with stevia or Luo Han, both
of which are safe natural sweeteners. If you struggle with high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight, then you have
insulin sensitivity issues and would likely benefit from avoiding ALL
sweeteners.
Sweetened beverages, whether sweetened by fructose, another form of
sugar, or artificial sweeteners, are among the worst culprits in the
fight against obesity and related health problems. Ditching ALL of these
types of beverages can go a long way toward reducing your risk for
chronic health problems and weight gain, not to mention your exposure to
potentially dangerous chemical additives like BVO.
What Are GMOs?
From April 19th through April 25th we launch GMO Awareness Week. We
set aside an entire week dedicated to providing you with information on
GMOs and labeling initiatives.
GMOs are a product of genetic engineering, meaning their genetic makeup
has been altered to induce a variety of “unique” traits to crops, such
as making them drought-resistant or giving them “more nutrients.” GMO
proponents claim that genetic engineering is “safe and beneficial,” and
that it advances the agricultural industry. They also say that GMOs help
ensure the global food supply and sustainability. But is there any
truth to these claims? I believe not. For years, I've stated the belief
that GMOs pose one of the greatest threats to life on the planet.
Genetic engineering is NOT the safe and beneficial technology that it is
touted to be.
Help Support GMO Labeling
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)—Monsanto’s Evil Twin—is
pulling out all the stops to keep you in the dark about what’s in your
food. For nearly two decades, Monsanto and corporate agribusiness have
exercised near-dictatorial control over American agriculture. For
example, Monsanto has made many claims that glyphosate in Roundup is
harmless to animals and humans. However, recently the World Health
Organization (WHO) had their research team test glyphosate and have
labeled it a probable carcinogen.
Public opinion around the biotech industry's contamination of our
food supply and destruction of our environment has reached the tipping
point. We're fighting back. That's why I was the first to push for GMO
labeling. I donated a significant sum to the first ballot initiative in
California in 2012, which inspired others to donate to the campaign as
well. We technically "lost the vote, but we are winning the war, as
these labeling initiatives have raised a considerable amount of public
awareness.
The insanity has gone far enough, which is why I encourage you to
boycott every single product owned by members of the GMA, including
natural and organic brands. More than 80 percent of our support comes
from individual consumers like you, who understand that real change
comes from the grassroots.
Thankfully, we have organizations like the Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) to fight back against these junk food manufacturers,
pesticide producers, and corporate giants.
Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More
Together, Let's Help OCA Get The Funding They Deserve
Let’s Help OCA get the funding it deserves. I have found very few
organizations who are as effective and efficient as OCA. It’s a public
interest organization dedicated to promoting health justice and
sustainability. A central focus of the OCA is building a healthy,
equitable, and sustainable system of food production and consumption.
That's why I'm proud to announce I will be matching donations up to
$250,000 this week.
Please make a donation to help OCA fight for GMO labeling.
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