Gatorade was invented at the University of Florida as a recovery drink for the Florida Gator football players, and it is produced today by PepsiCo. The sports drink is marketed as “fuel for performance athletes” because it contains electrolytes, which are essential minerals, and not caffeine – a stimulant. 

Gatorade continues to dominate the sports drinks market as the official sponsor of many elite athletes and teams, and it is a popular staple in many households across the US.

However, the sports drink has not had the same success in Europe owing to a ban on one of its essential ingredients.

Why is Gatorade banned in other countries?

In 2012, the European Union banned an ingredient called brominated vegetable oil (BVO), an ingredient that is used in the making of Gatorade. As a result, the sports drink was discontinued in Europe. The same ingredient is also banned in Japan, although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to deem Gatorade safe for consumption.

Gatorade has since removed the ingredient, and in 2013, to reboot the drink’s popularity, Gatorade signed a sponsorship agreement with FC Barcelona and football legend Lionel Messi. 

Which other countries enforce this ban?

Nonetheless, Gatorade also contains food dyes, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, which provide the vibrant drink colors. These artificial colors are banned in foods for infants and children in the European Union, and any products which contain these dyes must also carry warnings. Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 are completely banned in Norway and Austria.

by Zandi Mlotshwa https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/author/zandimlotshwa/