Orion Brewery’s Leaking Propylene Glycol: Red Sea Incident Stuns Japanese Beach Resort
An incident at Orion Brewery has resulted in the discoloration of the sea, turning it a deep red color.
The coastal region headquarters of the 11th Regional Coast Guard reported that a leak at Orion Brewery in Okinawa, Japan, caused the rivers and port areas of Nago city to be tainted with red water. The brewery, which had been reassuring the public not to be concerned, explained that the discoloration was due to a leak at one of their sites involving Propylene glycol.
They emphasized that there was no risk to human or marine life.
According to the brewery, the leakage of Propylene glycol, which is an approved food additive listed in the enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act, occurred from the cooling water used in their factory facilities. It is believed that the leaked cooling water flowed into a river through a rain gutter, leading to the red sea.
The beach resort city in southwest Japan, known for its picturesque emerald waters and sandy beaches, is not accustomed to such a phenomenon.
The brewery assured the public that the leak had been successfully resolved by 9:30 am on Tuesday. However, the Japanese Coast Guard spokesperson informed local journalists that the seawater remained red as of Wednesday morning.
Propylene glycol, commonly utilized in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, has long been classified as “generally recognized as safe” for food usage by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Orion Brewery sincerely apologized for the inconvenience, trouble, and worry caused by the incident. They expressed their commitment to working closely with the authorities to implement appropriate countermeasures.
