1 Some references claim that the red color is due to molecular bromine which could be produced via the following two steps ... (0.1M malonic acid, 0.06M BrO3-, 0.013 Mn2+, and 1.6 M H2SO4) Notes: ...

rather than bromine itself, so it is therefore possible that the red color is due to something else, maybe the transient existence of Mn3+ions which are known to be red/purple in color. Chloride ions, ...