What is brominated vegetable oil recently banned by USA?

US' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. BVO is a complex mixture of triglycerides of vegetable origin that have been reacted to contain atoms of the element bromine bonded to molecules. BVOs are used primarily as food stabilisers to help emulsify citrus-flavoured soft drinks, preventing them from separating during distribution.