Analysis of Colorants in Foods Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A method using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of colorants in foods. Twenty-five colorants were extracted from foods with water or methanol and ammonia water, and cleaned up with a solid-phase extraction column. Recovery rates were between 71 and 113%, and relative standard deviations were less than 10%. The detection limits of the colorants were 0.2-0.8 mu g/g. The analytical method using LCMS established in this study is suitable for the detection of colorants in processed foods.