Blue might be the world’s most popular color, but it is so rarely found in nature that scientists have resorted to artificial dyes and chemicals to create all of our favorite blue products — including sweets, drinks, drug tablets, cosmetics, and clothing.
These synthetic dyes, which are typically made from petrochemicals, are still causing concerns about their environmental impact and safety as food additives, with researchers struggling to find an all-natural alternative.
Now, the long search might actually be over, as pamela denish, a graduate student in UC Davis’ innovation institute for food and health, and her colleagues have discovered a blue pigment in red cabbage, similar to the artificial food coloring brilliant blue FCF or E133.
Keep reading at Design Boom.