One of the interesting things about the world is the way in which different ingredients are allowed in some countries and yet they are banned in others. One such example involves an ingredient that appears in a number of different sodas that are available for sale in the United States.
However, when you look at the ingredient and why it is banned in some places, it does make you wonder as to why it’s still used as a key ingredient in drinks such as Dr. Pepper and Sprite, to name only a couple.
The ingredient in question is known as BVO, which is short for Brominated Vegetable Oil. At first it sounds as if it would be absolutely acceptable, as we use vegetable oil in a number of different things, but your attitude will change when you discover that this ingredient is actually toxic and is used as a basis in at least one type of flame retardant. It is banned throughout Europe as well as Japan, but the same ban has not been extended to the United States where it still has a certain popularity.