FDA Warns: Remove This Popular Item From Michigan Kitchens

If you take a look around your kitchen, you more than likely have something the Food and Drug Administration says is banned and bad for your family's health.

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FDA - Food and Drug Administration

In the United States of America, we have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which is responsible for protecting public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

The items listed above need to be FDA-approved based on research and testing to determine whether they provide benefits that outweigh their known and potential risks for the intended population. Every now and again some items need to be de-approved.

FDA Warns Michiganders to Remove This From Your Kitchens

Last week the FDA proposed a banning of something called brominated vegetable oil.

Brominated vegetable oil was once widely used in popular drinks like Gatorade and Mountain Dew.

Brominated vegetable oil is linked to potential health risks that include damage to the brain, heart, and liver.

What Is Brominated Vegetable Oil Used For and What Makes it So Dangerous?

According to the FDA's proposed banning of brominated vegetable oil, it has been used as a primary additive for fruit-flavored sports drinks and sodas. Its job is to keep ingredients from separating but now has been deemed a health risk.

What makes brominated vegetable oil so dangerous is bromine is an element that is found in flame retardants. Seems like something someone should have been hip to before brominated vegetable oil was approved in the first place.

Products To Check in Your Kitchen That May Containe Brominated Vegetable Oil

Brominated vegetable oil was used regularly in diet sodas but also in Gatorade and Mountain Dew. Coca-Cola and Gatorade stopped using the product between 2013 and 2014 but products that are similar may still have brominated vegetable oil in them like Food Lion-brand sodas, Great Value-brand sodas, and Sun Drop citrus sodas. Check the product labels to see if any similar items listed above are in your home for BVO.