Dyes and additives

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO): banned nationwide

BVO kept citrus flavors in suspension in some sodas. It is the first additive on this site that is already out of food everywhere in the US.

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Brominated vegetable oil in California, November 5, 2026

Not allowed in food anywhere in the US

FDABanned nationwide by FDA FDA revoked the only authorized use (stabilizing flavoring oils in fruit-flavored drinks) by a final rule of July 3, 2024 (89 FR 55040), effective August 2, 2024, with a compliance date one year later, August 2, 2025.
all food soldEnacted, not yet in effect AB 418 (2023), from January 1, 2027.

Brominated vegetable oil, CAS 8016-94-2. School rules cover food served or sold to students, not grocery shelves. Legal status only, not health advice.

All dye and additive rules in California

Brominated vegetable oil is no longer allowed in food anywhere in the United States. The FDA published a final rule on July 3, 2024 revoking its only authorization, which let it stabilize flavoring oils in fruit-flavored drinks at up to 15 parts per million. The rule took effect on August 2, 2024, and gave companies until August 2, 2025 to comply. The agency concluded that the use was no longer considered safe. California had already banned BVO in food sold in the state from 2027 under its 2023 Food Safety Act, so the state rule now repeats the federal one. Arizona and Texas name BVO in their school rules. BVO is now rare in labeled products: the few hundred that still list it, mostly sodas, carry older labels.

Which states keep this dye out of school food?

School-food rules naming BVO

2 states

Texas: the 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026) (in effect)
Arizona: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect)

All food sold, not only schools: California.

Read the school meal rules →

Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

What a label from before 2025 can still show

FoodData Central keeps records filed years ago, and some still list brominated vegetable oil because the product was submitted before reformulation. The table below counts them, but a current package of the same product should no longer contain it. The product search shows the month each label was filed, which is the best guide to how current it is.

Why state laws still name it

A state law stays on the books even when a federal rule overtakes it, and keeping BVO in the text protects the state's position if the federal rule were ever reversed. The California penalty structure applies to it from 2027 like the other three substances.

BVO: identity and federal status

Read on November 1, 2026.
Name in the federal rulesBrominated vegetable oil
Other names on labelsBrominated soybean oil
E number (EU)none
CAS number8016-94-2
Federal rule21 CFR 180.30 (removed)
FDA statusFDA revoked the only authorized use (stabilizing flavoring oils in fruit-flavored drinks) by a final rule of July 3, 2024 (89 FR 55040), effective August 2, 2024, with a compliance date one year later, August 2, 2025.

State laws that name BVO

3 states; laws read on November 1, 2026.
StateLawScopeFromStatus today
CaliforniaAB 418 (2023)all food soldJanuary 1, 2027Enacted, not yet in effect
TexasSB 314 (89th Legislature, 2025)school foodthe 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026)In effect
ArizonaHB 2164 (2025)school foodthe 2026-2027 school yearIn effect

Where BVO shows up in labeled products

USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods, release of October 29, 2026; one product per barcode.
CategoryProducts listing itProducts in the categoryShare
Soda5997,9227.6%
Fruit drinks, teas and flavored waters9822,9420.4%
Frosting, sprinkles and syrups76,3500.1%
Sports and energy drinks22,6550.1%
Ice cream and frozen treats815,1540.1%
Drink mixes and water enhancers24,9940.0%
Candy and chocolate333,9040.0%
Cakes, pastries and toaster pastries114,0070.0%

Questions people ask

Which states have a law naming BVO?

As of November 1, 2026, 3 states: California, Texas and Arizona. By kind of rule: all food sold in the state, California; school food, Texas and Arizona; package labels, none. Each rule has its own start date, given in the table on this page with a link to the text.

What is the FDA status of BVO today?

Banned nationwide by FDA. FDA revoked the only authorized use (stabilizing flavoring oils in fruit-flavored drinks) by a final rule of July 3, 2024 (89 FR 55040), effective August 2, 2024, with a compliance date one year later, August 2, 2025. The federal rule applies in every state, before any state law, and is read in the Federal Register and the electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

How does BVO appear on an ingredient list?

It may be written as Brominated soybean oil. Federal rule 21 CFR 180.30 (removed) governs its use. A certified dye must be named in the list rather than covered by "artificial color", and a lake form must keep the word "Lake".

Check next

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Ingredient list checker

Paste an ingredient list: every tracked dye or additive found, by FD&C name, lake, E or INS number, with its status in your state.

List of artificial food dyes

The nine synthetic dyes certified by the FDA for food, their other names and E numbers, and the status of each.

FDA phase-out

What the FDA has ordered (Red 3, BVO, Orange B), proposed (Citrus Red 2) and only requested (six dyes by the end of 2027).

States banning food dyes

Every state with an enacted dye or additive law, what it covers, from when, and the bills still pending or not confirmed.

Laws and official pages behind this page

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Independent publisher of a state-by-state tracker of food dye and additive laws in the United States, with an ingredient-list checker built on USDA FoodData Central

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Food dye and additive rules 2026, read in each state law and in the Federal Register, last checked on