Rhodamine B in spices determined by a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method.

Area of Science:

• Food safety analysis
• Chemical contaminant detection
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Rhodamine B (RhB) is a banned food additive and illegal colorant.
• Monitoring RhB contamination in food products is crucial for public health.
• Spices like chili and pepper are widely consumed globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a sensitive analytical method for RhB detection in spices.
• To quantify the levels of RhB contamination in various spice products.
• To assess the potential health risks associated with RhB exposure through spice consumption.

Main Methods:

• Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed for sensitive and specific RhB detection.
• A total of 292 spice samples, including chili powder, pepper powder, chili oil, and pepper oil, were analyzed.
• Quantitative analysis determined the concentration of RhB in contaminated samples.

Main Results:

• RhB contamination was found in 22.7% of chili powder, 18.5% of pepper powder, 11.1% of chili oil, and 9.1% of pepper oil samples.
• Chili powder showed the highest contamination levels, reaching up to 44,935 μg/kg (average 743 μg/kg).
• Pepper powder and oils also exhibited detectable levels of RhB, indicating widespread adulteration.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights significant contamination of popular spices with the illegal colorant Rhodamine B.
• High levels of RhB in chili and pepper products pose a considerable dietary exposure risk to consumers.
• Strict monitoring and control measures are necessary to mitigate RhB contamination in the food supply.