Bachok: Three Form Three students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Ahmad Maher have successfully created an innovative product called ‘Colourguard’, which uses purple cabbage extract to detect artificial colouring in food and beverages.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, team leader Muhammad Ameer Jamaludin explained that the product emerged from a study revealing that purple cabbage contains anthocyanin. This natural substance reacts to acidity levels and chemicals found in artificially coloured foods, allowing it to change colour according to pH levels. Muhammad Ameer, along with his friends Syed Adheem Syed Khairudin and Muhammad Aiman Hakim Najeli, developed Colourguard not only to help consumers detect unsafe colouring but also to promote healthy eating and the use of natural ingredients.
“This product is made completely from natural ingredients and is safe to use,” Muhammad Ameer stated. Purple cabbage is both affordable and readily available in the market, making it an ideal base for the product. The preparation process is simple: boil the cabbage for about 15 minutes and then strain the liquid to use as a detection agent, similar to how litmus tests work. Users can place a small food or drink sample on a cotton swab and apply the purple cabbage solution. A colour change within 30 to 40 seconds indicates the presence of synthetic colouring.
The innovative Colourguard product received acclaim at the Kelantan-level Festival of Ideas (FOI) 2025 held at the Chancellor’s Hall in Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Bachok Campus, winning the gold medal for the Best Cluster Award (Science) in the secondary school category. The award was presented by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chang Lih Kang.
Muhammad Ameer shared that the idea for Colourguard was conceived to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive artificial colouring and encourage the use of natural dyes. “We started developing this product about two weeks ago after learning about this competition. This idea was born after we realised the negative effects of excessive synthetic colouring, which can harm the kidneys and cause hyperactivity in children,” he noted. The team hopes to enhance consumer awareness on food safety and reduce artificial colouring use in the food industry.
Looking ahead, Muhammad Ameer plans to improve Colourguard further, optimising the use of purple cabbage as a synthetic colouring detector with guidance from their mentor teacher, Mohd Zaidi Mat.