BVO (Brominated vegetable oil) is a chemical compound obtained by the reaction of liquid bromine with unsaturated vegetable oils.

The name describes the structure of the molecule

• "Brominated" indicates that the vegetable oil has been treated with bromine. Bromine is a chemical element that can be used to bind and stabilize compounds.
• "Vegetable Oil" refers to oils extracted from plants. Vegetable oils are primarily composed of triglycerides and are used in a variety of products, from cooking to cosmetics.

Description of raw materials used in production

• Vegetable Oil - Often derived from soy or corn.
• Bromine - Chemical element used to brominate the vegetable oil.

Step-by-step summary of industrial chemical synthesis process

• Preparation of Vegetable Oil - The vegetable oil is pretreated to remove impurities and prepared for bromination.
• Bromination - The vegetable oil is exposed to bromine under controlled conditions, where bromine molecules chemically bond with the fatty acids of the vegetable oil.
• Purification - Post-bromination, the oil is purified to remove excess bromine and other impurities.
• Drying - The brominated oil is dried to remove any traces of solvents or moisture.

It appears as a clear or yellowish liquid.

What it is for and where

Food

BVO is used as an emulsifier in beverages to keep ingredients evenly dispersed.

Emulsifying agent.  Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable. Emulsifiers have the property to reduce the oil/water or water/oil interfacial tension, improve emulsion stability and also directly influence the stability, sensory properties and surface tension of sunscreens by modulating their filmometric performance.

Stabilizer. Assists in maintaining the cloudy or hazy appearance of certain beverages.

• CAS    8016-94-2
• EC number   232-416-5
• FEMA    2168

Safety

BVO although approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food additive, it has been the subject of many studies that have established that it is dangerous from a health perspective. It is believed to be an ingredient with potential thyroid toxicity and with potential increased tissue levels of inorganic and organic bromine (1) and with undesirable effects on behavioral and reproductive effects (2) and cardiac lipid metabolism (3) in laboratory animals.

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Woodling KA, Chitranshi P, Jacob CC, Loukotková L, Von Tungeln LS, Olson GR, Patton RE, Francke S, Mog SR, Felton RP, Beland FA, Zang Y, Gamboa da Costa G. Toxicological evaluation of brominated vegetable oil in Sprague Dawley rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2022 Jul;165:113137. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.113137. Epub 2022 May 16. PMID: 35588981.

Abstract. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on an interim basis as a food additive. Past studies have raised concerns about potential toxicities from consuming BVO. To investigate further these toxicities, we conducted a 90-day dietary exposure study in Sprague Dawley rats and analyzed tissue distribution of the main metabolites. Six-week-old male and female rats were fed diets containing 0 (control), 0.002%, 0.02%, 0.1%, or 0.5% BVO by weight. Statistically significant increases were observed in the serum bromide in the high-dose group of both sexes and in the incidence of thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy in the two highest dose groups of males and the high-dose group of females. An increase in serum TSH was observed in the high-dose group for both sexes, as well as a decrease in serum T4 in the high-dose males. A clear dose-response was observed in di- and tetra-bromostearic acid levels in the heart, liver, and inguinal fat. These data expand upon previous observations in rats and pigs that oral exposure to BVO is associated with increased tissue levels of inorganic and organic bromine, and that the thyroid is a potential target organ of toxicity.

(2) Vorhees CV, Butcher RE, Wootten V, Brunner RL. Behavioral and reproductive effects of chronic developmental exposure to brominated vegetable oil in rats. Teratology. 1983 Dec;28(3):309-18. doi: 10.1002/tera.1420280302. 

Abstract. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% of the food additive brominated vegetable (soybean) oil (BVO) for 2 weeks prior to mating. After conception, the diets were continued throughout gestation and lactation for the females. The same diets were also provided to the dams' offspring throughout their development (up to 90-120 days of age). BVO at 2.0% of the diet completely blocked reproduction. BVO at 1.0% of the diet severely impaired conception, reduced maternal body weight, and produced slightly reduced litter sizes but no evidence of malformations. At this dose postnatal mortality was high, and survivors showed impaired growth and severe behavioral impairments on a battery of standardized tests of functional development. After weaning, adequate data could not be obtained because of the high mortality rate in this group. BVO at 0.5% of the diet produced less reproductive interference and much less offspring mortality or impairment of growth, but produced behavioral impairments almost as severe as seen in the BVO 1.0% group. In addition, this group exhibited severely reduced postweaning activity, delayed vaginal patency development, and reduced day-90 weight. BVO at 0.25% of the diet produced reproductive deficits similar to the BVO 0.5% group, but less severe effects on growth and behavioral development. This group showed no significant increase in offspring mortality. The data demonstrate clear evidence of dose-related physical and behavioral developmental toxicity.

(3) Lombardo YB, Chicco A, Basílico MZ, Bernal C, Gutman R. Effect of brominated vegetable oils on heart lipid metabolism. Lipids. 1985 Jul;20(7):425-32. doi: 10.1007/BF02534233.

Abstract. Normal rats fed for 105 days on an experimental diet made up of standard laboratory chow supplemented with 0.5% of a mixture of brominated sunflower-olive oil (BVO) developed a significant increase in the triacylglycerol content of the heart, liver and soleus muscle compared to controls. In addition, BVO-treated rats had a decrease in plasma levels of triacylglycerol and total and HDL cholesterol. Plasma fatty acid levels and plasma post-heparin lipolytic activities, such as H-TGL, LPL, T-TGL and MGH were similar to those of control animals fed the standard chow alone. Heart PDHa (active portion of pyruvate dehydrogenase) was dramatically decreased in the BVO-fed rats. A faster rate of spontaneous lipolysis was recorded in the isolated perfused preparation of hearts from the experimental animals. The addition of 10(-7) M of glucagon to the perfusate, however, revealed a lipolytic effect comparable to the one observed in the control rats. In summary, our findings of normal fatty acids and low triacylglycerol plasma levels associated with normal activities of the various PHLA (post-heparin lipolytic activity) enzymes suggest that accumulation of triacylglycerol in heart muscle may not be explained essentially in terms of an elevated uptake and/or increased delivery of plasma fatty acids or plasma triacylglycerol. A decreased in situ catabolism of tissue triacylglycerol also appears unlikely because the spontaneous as well as the glucagon induced lipolysis in the heart both were found to be unimpaired...