Fast Sensitive and Accurate Analysis of the Most Common Synthetic Food Colorants in 65 Egyptian Commercial Products Using New HPLC–DAD and UPLC-ESI–MS/MS Methods

Abstract

Overexposure to food colorants above the allowed daily intake (ADI) level can provoke hyperactivity and other disturbed behaviors especially in children. Two new methods were developed to separate five synthetic colorants, which were Tartrazine (E102), Sunset Yellow (E110), Allura Red (E129), Carmoisine (E122), and Brilliant Blue (E133). They are labeled on a large variety of commercial food products in the Egyptian market without mentioning their definite concentrations. Therefore, there was a real need to determine these colorants with simple, accurate, and fast methods. This is the first study to determine these colorants in a wide variety of food products present in the Egyptian market. The HPLC approach with photodiode array detection was developed to quantify these colorants, on a C18 column, with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water containing 1% ammonium acetate (pH 6.8), separation was carried out using a gradient program. The colorants were eluted and efficiently separated within 9 min. Then, as a complementary technique to HPLC, the UPLC-ESI–MS/MS approach was developed for identification and accurate mass measurement of the colorants found in high concentrations, the colorants were obtained simultaneously in negative mode, the run time was only 3 min. These developed methods were validated according to ICH recommendations and they were applied to analyze 65 food products including jelly powder, puddings, ice cream powders, concentrated soft drink powders, carbonated drinks, chewing gums, and sugar confectionery.

Assessment of Sugar and Mineral Components in Taif Pomegranate Granules Using Spectral and Microanalytical Analyses

“…After completing condition optimization to obtain the best signal and the best baseline for stability and separation, the three sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) under investigation showed a typical chromatographic separation pattern of the industrial standard in the chromatographic analysis using "Sugar Pack-1" (Figure 1). According to chromatographic profiles, the three sugars were clearly separated (El Kersh, et al, 2023;Abdel Hameed, et al, 2022& Wagner, et al, 2023. The success of food quality assessment techniques for nutritional and regulatory applications will depend on their dependability and maturity.…”