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Beet juice used to melt icy roads increasing in popularity

Behold the magical properties of beet juice.

Not only is the ruby red juice packed full of antioxidants, but it appears that beet juice can be used in conjunction with salt brine to keep roads from icing.

The mixture is becoming increasingly popular in Ontario as municipalities aim to reduce the environmental impact of using too much road salt, which can harm fruit trees, corrode cars, contaminate streams and damage concrete bridges.

“It seems to be working very well for us and it’s something that we are planning on sticking with,” David Laurie, Huron County’s director of public works, tells The Toronto Star.

His county, which is west of Toronto, Ont., has been using the popular solution -- said to smell like soy sauce, molasses or stale coffee when the snow starts melting -- since 2005.

While the beet juice solution costs more per litre than brine alone, Laurie says he saves money in the grand scheme because the application is more cost-effective than using road salt alone. Officials apply it to the road before it snows, so when the snow hits the road it automatically starts melting and is less likely to form ice that requires plows to remove.

“One round of application of this (mixture) might run $3,600 to $3,700 whereas one run out with the plows countywide might be $10,000 to $12,000,” explains Laurie.

Another added benefit is that the beet juice-brine solution can be used in weather as cold as minus 25 C, whereas salt brine alone starts to freeze at about -10 C.

In addition to beet juice being used in Canada, some U.S. municipalities also use cheese brine and pig urea on icy roads.