PICTURES OF purple corn that loses its colour after being boiled have gone viral on social media, sparking concerns amongst buyers.
A woman claimed she had been cheated by traders at Cameron Highlands after purchasing purple corn that lost its colour when cooked.
Is the purple corn being sold in Cameron Highlands fake corn that has been dyed?
Verdict:
FALSE
A claim circulating on social media that purple corn sold at Cameron Highlands in Pahang, is fake corn dyed with artificial colouring is false.
An individual uploaded a post on Facebook claiming she had been cheated by traders at the highland resort because the purple corn she purchased lost its colour after being boiled.
The woman also warned the public to be careful when buying corn in Cameron Highlands.
The post is no longer accessible and has likely been deleted.
According to MyCheck.my, many netizens in the comments claimed the purple corn had been dyed with artificial colouring.
Most of them stated they had experienced the same situation when purple corn purchased at the highland resort also lost its colour.
However, many also came forward to deny the claims and shared their own experiences of growing purple corn.
They explained that purple corn naturally loses its colour when boiled and is not fake corn.
Purple corn, also known as Peruvian purple corn, is amongst the varieties of corn available in the global market.
It originates from Peru and has been cultivated for more than 100 years.
In Malaysia, corn cultivation is not uncommon, but not many people know about the purple corn variety.
The uniqueness of purple corn prompted UPM Assistant Agriculture Officer Mohd Nazrul Anis to cultivate the crop starting in 2023 at the UPM farm.
"I planted this purple corn because I wanted to try something new and produce something that is difficult to find in the market," he told MyCheck.my.
Mohd Nazrul, who is also an influencer on TikTok and actively shares knowledge in the field of agriculture, said there is added value content in purple corn known as anthocyanin.
According to the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board's Facebook post, anthocyanin is a natural pigment in plants that gives blue, red and purple colours.
Anthocyanin protects plant tissue from abiotic stress such as water, soil, air, light and temperature.
According to the HeloMedik portal, anthocyanin extracted from plants is also used as colouring, natural food colouring and food additives.
Fruits high in anthocyanin include mulberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries and blueberries, whilst vegetables include aubergines, purple cabbage, shallots, purple sweet potatoes, beetroot and purple corn.
Mohd Nazrul explained that the claim that purple corn that loses its colour is fake corn dyed with artificial colouring is not true.
This is because there are two types of purple corn, and these corns either lose or retain their colour.
"Based on my experience growing various types of corn, purple corn comes in two varieties, namely glutinous corn and sweet corn, and there are also two types, those that lose colour and those that do not lose colour," he said.
"In the market, there are various types and hybrids. The colour of this corn depends on the type planted," he added.
He also explained that it would be impossible to apply artificial colouring to corn that has an outer layer of skin adding that steaming was a more suitable method for cooking purple corn as it better preserved its colour.
However, he said steaming does not mean the colour of the corn does not fade at all.
"Perhaps the colour doesn't fade as much when boiled. Anthocyanin naturally dissolves easily in water. Some corn fades significantly, while others fade only slightly," said Mohd Nazrulmy.
References:
1. https://www.mycheck.my/more.
