A Fast and Simple Method for the Determination of 12 Synthetic Dyes in Spicy Foods by UHPLC-HRMS

A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 12 banned fat-soluble synthetic colorants (Sudan I-IV, Sudan black B, Sudan orange G, Sudan red 7B, Sudan red B, Sudan red G, butter yellow, para red, and rhodamine B) in chili and spicy products was developed. In this study, we present a method based on the "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe" (QuEChERS) procedure for sample extraction and cleanup. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry with an Orbitrap analyzer was used to detect the analytes. Data were acquired in full scan MS and data-dependent MS/MS (full scan MS1/dd-MS2) modes. Under the optimized conditions, good linearities (0.5-100 mu g/L; R-2 > 0.99), limits of quantitation (1.0-10.0 mu g/kg), recoveries (71-117%), and precisions (RSD of <15%) were obtained for the 12 dyes. The proposed method is easy, rapid, and useful for screening traces of illegal dyes in foods.