Before William Henry Perkin invented Mauve dye in 1856, there were no synthetic dyes available. But the only natural source of purple dye is a species of predatory sea snail called the Murex snail.

Perkins and other chemists set about to develop cheaper methods to dye fabrics. Today, labs create synthetic dyes petroleum or coal compounds. This has enabled us to bring vibrant colors to a wide ...

While food dyes have existed for centuries, the first synthetic food dye was invented in 1856 by chemist William Henry Perkin. These additives were produced from the by-products of coal processing.