Cool, So Your Gatorade Won't Have Flame Retardant In It Anymore

Well hey, now you can chug your Gatorade after your daily run without wondering, "Why am I drinking flame retardant?" Good job, world.

Following 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh's Change.org petition, Gatorade has announced plans to remove brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from their drinks.

BVO, a patented flame retardant, is also found in Coca-Cola products, Fanta, and Mountain Dew; while BVO is banned from food in Europe and Japan, it's still used Stateside to "prevent the citrus flavoring oils from floating to the surface in beverages," the Coca-Cola company says.

A Scientific American article linked BVO to chemical residues in children, contaminated breast milk, and other health issues such as "neurological development, reduced fertility, early onset of puberty, and altered thyroid hormones." And while Coca-Cola and other companies have yet to speak out on the issues, at least we can all drink our Gatorade without fear. Or, you know, stick with water and red wine.