Mystery surrounds orange turning purple; government collects it for forensic testing

.abc.net.au ^ | 09/06/2018 | Patrick Williams

[BenLurkin]

Forensic testing is underway to determine exactly why an orange purchased at a Brisbane fruit and veg shop turned purple hours after it was cut open.

Keperra resident Neti Moffitt cut up the orange on Tuesday as a snack for her two-year-old son.

It looked fine, smelt fine, and the three slices he sucked on were later binned. The rest of the orange was left out on the kitchen counter overnight.

On Wednesday morning, Ms Moffitt woke up to find the remaining fruit was part orange, part purple.

Ms Moffitt hit the internet where she found only one other occurrence of an orange turning purple — also in Queensland in 2015.

At the time Nine News reported a number of oranges, purchased at Chinchilla in the Western Downs, turned purple after they were cut open.

It said forensic testing ruled out artificial colouring, and no iodine was found.

Ms Moffitt contacted Queensland Health to investigate her case.

"The gentleman who came to collect it was very, very excited," she said.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman confirmed an officer took the discoloured orange slices, the knife, the sharpener and other items.

"The items have been taken to Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services for testing," the spokeswoman said.

[Deaf Smith]

Purple Rain.

Guy formally known as Prince related.

Changed his name to some sort of tranny symbol.

[C210N]

I don’t know for sure, but I highly suspect glowBull warming is the cause. Gotta be.

[C210N]

Blood Oranges.

[Fungi]

Silly. It's probably just a blood orange. Often the segments of a blood orange are not all purple and she did not see it until the next day. This really requires government intervention? What a joke. People need a life beyond what we are now. How did the human race survive up to now before we had a government that encroaches into every minute aspect of our lives with a willing populace? I have seen everything now-—maybe.

[Nateman]

I bet a virus in the orange interacting with a mold. I know the key to getting some orchids to bloom was a virus.

[DLfromthedesert]

Purple is the new orange.

[blueunicorn6]

It’s Australia.

I blame the kangaroos.

[RegulatorCountry]

It looked fine, smelt fine, and the three slices he sucked on were later binned.

Sounds positive, I guess?

[American in Israel]

GMO?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There once was a guy with an orange
He kept that there orange for a month
It didn’t turn silver
It turned kinda purple
So he gave that spoilt orange to his wolf.

— the non-rhyming limerick

[rightwingcrazy]

It's everywhere there.

[Daffynition]

Been in my fridge, eh?

[EdnaMode]

Does that make it a purple?

[BenLurkin]

Yes.

And still nothing rhymes with it.

[Ezekiel]

On Wednesday morning, Ms Moffitt woke up to find the remaining fruit was part orange, part purple.

And by evening...

[null and void]

[BenLurkin]

Excellent

[Flag_This]

That joke will never work again if all the oranges become purples.

[adorno]

Purplanges?