[Quantitative analysis of two food colors using excitation-emission matrix spectra coupled with parallel factor...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Accurate detection of synthetic food colorants is crucial for food safety and quality control.
• Existing methods may face challenges with complex mixtures and interfering compounds.
• Fluorescence spectroscopy offers a sensitive platform for analyzing colored compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for the simultaneous detection of synthetic food colorants.
• To quantify specific food dyes, namely carmine and Allura Red, in mixed solutions.
• To assess the method's efficacy in the presence of potential interfering substances like amaranth.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a British Edinburgh FLS920P Steady State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectrometer to acquire 3D fluorescence spectra.
• Employed the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) algorithm combined with excitation-emission matrices (EEMs).
• Applied the CORCONDIA determination method to ascertain the number of components in mixed solutions.

Main Results:

• Achieved high average recoveries for carmine (99.3% ± 5.0%) and Allura Red (102.2% ± 5.6%).
• Obtained low root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.054 for carmine and 0.205 for Allura Red.
• Demonstrated successful simultaneous quantification of carmine and Allura Red in the presence of amaranth.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescence spectroscopy and PARAFAC method provides a simple, convenient, and rapid approach for food colorant detection.
• This technique is effective for simultaneous determination of specific synthetic food pigments in complex matrices.
• The findings offer valuable references for the detection and quality control of synthetic food pigments.