permaculture

[mIEKAL aND <dtv@mwt.net>]

(good to see that Russell Crowe has a real job..)


Purple carrots to go on sale

May 16, 2002 Posted: 7:43 AM EDT (1143 GMT)

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The carrot is to return to its roots when it goes on 
sale
in what's said to be its true colour of purple this summer. Growers say they 
have
dug up the vegetable's original colour and will revert to the new hue this 
summer
for the first  time in Europe in five centuries.

Shoppers in the UK will also be able to buy black-and-white as well as 
previously
unseen rainbow-coloured carrots by next year.

Purple carrots, which will retain their orange-coloured centre, will appear 
on the
shelves of Sainsbury's supermarkets at a slightly higher price than the more
familiar version.

A 500-gram bag of purple carrots will cost £1.19 ($1.73) compared to 
£1.09($1.59)
for orange ones.

Purple-coloured carrots, which contain purple-red pigments called 
anthocyanins, were
first grown in the Middle and Far East, along with white, red, yellow, green 
and
black versions, according to the grocer.

The Dutch then introduced the orange pigment in honour of its national colour 
in the
16th century.

Orange carrots have some health advantages thanks to beta carotene, which is 
a form
of Vitamin A, essential for vision in dim light and healthy skin.

It will be the first time that purple carrots will have been grown in the UK.
Sainsbury's hopes the bright colours and sweet flavour will encourage 
children to
eat more carrots.

It is also believed they provide extra protection against some forms of 
cancer and
heart disease. A recent study concluded they contain pigments that act as
antioxidants.

Russell Crowe, Sainsbury's root buyer, said: "We are ve ry excited to have 
dug up
old ground and sell the purple carrot exclusively.

"Hopefully, this unusual colour will influence children to eat more 
vegetables while
parents can rest assured that there is nothing artificial about the carrots."

The purple carrots are being grown in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Mark Spurdens, technical manager for food company Isleham Fresh Produce which 
is
growing the crop, said: "They're different. They've had a little bit of extra 
care
and attention in the way they've been raised."