Why Have Some European Countries Banned American Sports Drink Gatorade?

American sports drink Gatorade is hugely popular worldwide and is easily recognized for its numerous flavors, bright colors, and orange lids. It is often seen on soccer and football fields by athletes of all ages. It promises instant rehydration and is loaded with electrolytes and nutrients that help you stay energetic. However, Gatorade is banned in many parts of Europe.

Several ingredients, including certain dyes like Yellow 5 and 6, have resulted in the drink being removed from shelves in several European countries.

According to experts, another reason Gatorade has disappeared from European Union shelves has been the presence of an ingredient known as brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which is added to drinks to stop ingredients from separating. However, BVO is completely prohibited in EuroHowever, BVO was also eventually banned by the US Food and Drug Administration, and Gatorade no longer contains the ingredient.

Experts say despite the removal of BVO, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 dyes, which require a warning label in all EU countries and are outright banned for consumption by infants and children, Gatorade has been outlawed. However, a few dye-free or naturally coloured versions of Gatorade are available in Europe, as well as other alternatives, which include Powerade, Vitaminwater, and Lucozade, a popular UK brand.

BVO is a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides that have been reacted with bromine. It is primarily used in the food and beverage industry as an emulsifier, and its main function is to keep citrus-flavoured sodas and other fruit-flavored beverages uniformly mixed, preventing the flavoring from separating and floating to the top.

According to experts, most of its composition is derived from vegetable oils like soybean or corn oil, which are brominated to create a denser oil that mixes well with water-based solutions.

Bromine is said to be toxic for human health, so it is removed from most of the Generally Regarded as Safe list by the FDA. Studies say the additive is known to leave bromine triglyceride residues in body fat, causing permanent liver damage, heart issues, and neurological dysfunction affecting your brain. Some of the common effects of bromine toxicity include:

• Damage to the central nervous system
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Memory loss
• Loss of coordination

According to a 2022 study conducted by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health that was published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal, it also suggested that consuming BVO could negatively impact the thyroid.

The thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in the human body through the hormones it produces. Excessive BVO accumulation in the body could also result in “bromine toxicity, which causes damage to the central nervous system, headaches, nausea, memory loss, and loss of coordination,” says the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.