What makes beetroot juice a deicer?

 

I read in Fuel Ghoul blog post below that the juice from red beets is being added to rock salt to make a superior pavement deicer,

 

http://roberrific.typepad.com/drunkenmoose/2013/08/best-natural-snow-removal-solution-mixes-beetroot-juice-and-brine.html

 

I'm curious if betanin is the active ingredient? Or is it something else?

 

Betanin is a food colouring agent.

I don't trust that website further than I could spit (In particular I don't believe that "Listed among its many scientific properties is the fact that fresh squeezed beetroot juice freezes at about minus 30°Celsius.") but anyway,

This

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betaine

is a much better deicer (weight for weight) than this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betanin

 

Even the sugars in beetroot juice will be better than betanin.

This might help

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryoscopy