Why a river in Japan turned blood red, alarming locals

Water in a Japanese port has turned blood red in colour, alarming locals. The dramatic change in colour was caused by a food colouring leak from a nearby beer factory, BBC reported.

The river in Nago city in Japan’s Okinawa turned a vivid red due to food colouring dye that flowed into the water through rain gutters. Officials at Orion Breweries, the beer factory responsible for the leak, apologised for the incident but assured locals that the dye was not hazardous or unsafe for humans.

In a statement, Orion Breweries said it was sorry for “causing enormous trouble and worry.” Hajime Murano, presidents of the brewery, said it was investigating how the leak occurred. Murano promised the company would take steps to ensure the incident was not repeated.
On social media, commenters described the red river as “gruesome” and “venomous.”

Officials attributed the change in colour to propylene glycol, a synthetic food additive that serves various purposes in the food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, it is usually used as a solvent for food colours and flavours. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, propylene glycol is “generally recognized as safe.”

Earlier this year, the Hindon river in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, turned a similar red colour. The colour change was caused by discharge from the several illegal dyeing units that have cropped up around the area.