FOOD COLOURING

Food has been coloured for thousands of years as people sought to make it more appealing and flavoursome. Beetroots were used as their rich red juice, a result of their high betanin content, was easily extracted to provide a natural colourant. Until the 19th century the leaves were also used, particularly for colouring sweets, as they produced a green dye known as beet leaf green.

During the Industrial Revolution natural dyes were replaced with synthetic colourants and even with poisonous substances. Red lead, copper sulphate, chloride and many other chemicals were used to produce brightly-coloured sweets in order to attract children. In 1858 tragedy struck in Bradford when around 200 people, including children, were poisoned, 20 fatally, after eating peppermint lozenges which accidentally contained arsenic. The so-called Bradford Sweets Poisoning led to a public outcry and a demand for action.

Regulation was clearly called for and in 1860 the Adulteration of Food and Drink Act was passed to monitor the use of colourants, although it wasn’t until 1906 that artificial colours ‘injurious to health’ were banned. The first European Directive ‘concerning the colouring matters authorized for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption’ was published in 1962 and listed only 36 permitted colourants, including number E162 – Beetroot red, betanin.

Beetroot is today widely used to colour a variety of foodstuffs from burgers, tomato paste, yoghurt, jams and soup to puddings and drinks, due to the small amount needed and the minimal flavour it adds.

BEETROOT &
HENNA HAIR DYE

This treatment should give you a rich hair colour for roughly a week. You can play around with amounts of henna and beetroot until you have found the perfect combination for your colour and style. Just remember to wear gloves!

YOU WILL NEED

• 75ml beetroot juice (see Facial Treatments)

• ½ tbsp henna powder

• a large bowl

• sulphate-free shampoo

• a small funnel

• a clean shampoo bottle

• plastic gloves

METHOD

Pour the juice into a bowl. Stir in the henna powder, and transfer the mixture into a clean, sterile bottle (a regular shampoo bottle is best).

Pour enough shampoo for about five washes into the clean bottle. Use a small funnel to pour the henna and beet juice mix into the same clean bottle. Shake well to combine the shampoo and beetroot juice.

Test on a small section of hair as you may have to add more shampoo or henna and beet juice mix depending on the intensity of colour you want. Leave the mixture in for one to two hours depending on how deep you want the colour and the lightness of your natural hair colour.

Rinse with warm water until the water runs clear.

TOP TIP

A thin layer of Vaseline around your hairline and ears will prevent the dye from staining your skin. Also wrap your hair in clingfilm while you wait for it to set, to prevent dripping and to intensify the treatment.