River in Japan turns blood red. Here’s the reason why?

Orion Breweries, the beer factory from which the food colouring dye leaked, issued an apology and said that the colour doesn’t pose any health risks

A port in Japan turned blood red after a food colouring dye from a beer factory leaked into the river.
The videos of the river in Nago city in Japan’s Okinawa turning blood red are all over the internet now, alarming the residents.

According to BBC the leak, believed to have originated in one of the brewery’s cooling systems, occurred on Tuesday and was plugged at about 9:30 local time. It leaked into the river through the rain gutters, Japanese media reported.

Check out the video:

Orion beer factory leak turns Japanese port red. pic.twitter.com/uyw3JC02S2

— Project TABS (@ProjectTabs) June 29, 2023

Orion Breweries, the beer factory from which the food colouring dye leaked, issued an apology and said that the colour doesn’t pose any health risks.

It also apologized for “causing enormous trouble and worry” to the residents of Nago City in Okinawa.

“We believe it was caused by the leakage of propylene glycol, a food additive listed in enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act, contained in cooling water used to cool our factory facilities. We believe the leaked cooling water flowed into a river through a rain gutter, causing the sea to turn red,” Orion Breweries said, CNN reported.

Propylene glycol is commonly used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
As per US health authorities, Propylene glycol, which is used to absorb excess water, is “generally recognised as safe” for use in food.

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