Southeast soda staple Sun Drop has uncertain future after FDA ruling on ingredient

A staple soft drink in the Southeast including our region could be coming off the shelves after a ruling by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Citrus flavored Sun Drop is one of the few sodas left on the US market that uses brominated vegetable oil in its production to keep that lemon lime flavor consistent. The FDA said Tuesday they are banning the ingredient after a series of human tests that reveal spin off health problems including high blood pressure plus thyroid and nervous system difficulties.

BVO has already been banned for decades in several countries including the United Kingdom and Japan.

The drink has also been attached to NASCAR royalty since the 1980s–first with an endorsement deal with the late Dale Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., just signed a contract last year to have Sun Drop, now owned by the Keurig Dr Pepper group, as a co-sponsor for his late model race team. There was no official statement from the company on the BVO FDA development as of Tuesday afternoon.

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