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In this study, a hydrothermal process was utilized to grow mixed-valence CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu 0 nanosheets on carbon fiber paper, forming a three-dimensional hierarchical electrode (CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu 0 @CFP). The ordered array structure, coupled with the porous bowl-like structure, enhances the exposure of more electrode active sites and facilitates analyte penetration, thus enhancing the electrode sensing performance. As a binder-free sensor, the CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu 0 @CFP sensor exhibited remarkable sensitivity in detecting Malachite Green (MG), Sunset Yellow (SY) and Tartrazine (TA) over wide concentration ranges: 0.1-300 μM for MG (R 2  = 0.994), 0.005-200 μM for SY (R 2  = 0.996), and 0.005-300 μM for TA (R 2  = 0.995) with low detection limits of 0.033 μM for MG, 0.0016 μM for SY, and 0.0016 μM for TA (S/N = 3), respectively. Additionally, the 3D CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu 0 @CFP sensor detected MG, SY, and TA in a mixed solution with satisfactory results. It also performs well in beverage, fruit juice powder, and jelly samples, with results matching those from HPLC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rhodamine, a colorant prohibited in various consumer products due to its demonstrated carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic properties, necessitates the development of a straightforward, efficient, sensitive, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective analytical method. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in the pretreatment and determination techniques for rhodamine across diverse sample matrices since 2017. Sample preparation methods encompass both commonly used pretreatment techniques such as filtration, centrifugation, solvent extraction, and cloud point extraction, as well as innovative approaches including solid phase extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction, magnetic solid phase extraction, and matrix solid phase dispersion. The analytical techniques encompass high performance liquid chromatography, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and sensor-based methods. Furthermore, a comprehensive examination is conducted to offer insights for future research on rhodamine regarding the advantages, disadvantages, and advancements in various pretreatment and determination methodologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Colorants, especially synthetic colorants, play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetic qualities of food owing to their cost-effectiveness and stability against environmental factors. Ensuring the safe and regulated use of colorants is essential for maintaining consumer trust in food safety. Various preparation and analytical technologies, which are continuously undergoing improvement, are currently used to quantify of synthetic colorants in food products. This paper reviews recent developments in analytical techniques for synthetic food colorants, detection and compares the operational principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each technology. Additionally, it also explores advancements in these technologies, discussing several invaluable tools of analysis, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, electrochemical sensors, digital image analysis, near-infrared spectroscopy, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. This comprehensive overview aims to provide valuable insights into current progress and research in the field of food colorant analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Excessive use of food coloring agents in the food industry to make the food more attractive or improve the taste has caused various health and ecological problems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a reliable, sensitive, and selective sensing probe to detect food dyes in different food products for future industrial processing and biosafety. In recent decades, surface-functionalized quantum dots (QDs), owing to their unique optical properties, have gained tremendous interest for a wide range of applications, including biomedical, bioimaging and sensing applications. Herein, we have reported the synthesis of excellent colloidal stable and highly luminescent CdTe core and CdTe@ZnTe core-shell QDs using dual functionalizing agents, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and vitamin C. The synthesized QDs were explored as excellent sensing probes for the food dyes carmoisine, Ponceau 4R and tartrazine with limit of detection (LOD) values of 0.097 ± 0.006, 0.147 ± 0.001 and 0.044 ± 0.001 μM for CdTe-PVP QDs and 0.079 ± 0.001, 0.114 ± 0.002 and 0.042 ± 0.001 μM for CdTe@ZnTe-PVP QDs, respectively. The sensitivity of the synthesized QDs for the food dyes was also investigated in real samples (soft drinks and medications). Moreover, considering the potential effects of QDs as therapeutics or nano-drug carriers, the interactions between the synthesized QDs and carrier protein human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated. The binding affinity was observed to be in the order of 10 4 M -1 . QDs were found to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA, and both types of quenching (static and dynamic) occur via electrostatic interactions in association with hydrophobic forces without any significant alteration in the protein structure.

Food adulteration involving the illegal addition of dyes to foodstuffs has become an alarming issue in recent years. This study developed and validated a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-DAD (diode array detector) method for the simultaneous determination of nine azo dyes (Butter Yellow, Sudan Orange G, Para Red, Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III, Sudan IV, Sudan Red 7B, and Scarlet 808). Moreover, a qualitative analysis method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed to more accurately identify peaks detected in HPLC-DAD. The calibration curve represented good linearity (r 2  ≥ 0.9998) over the measured concentration range of 0.5-25 mg/kg. limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.01-0.04 and 0.04-0.12 mg/kg, respectively. Accuracy and precision were 96.0-102.6 and 0.16-2.01 (relative standard deviation%), respectively. Additionally, the measurement uncertainty and HorRat value were estimated. Several Curcuma longa L. distributed in Korea were collected and monitored for azo dye contaminants. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The proposed HPLC-DAD method represents a significant advancement in the field, offering a reliable means of quantifying azo dyes and identifying their presence even at trace levels in adulterated turmeric. This not only contributes to ensuring the safety and integrity of turmeric products but also establishes precedent for robust analytical techniques in addressing food safety challenges., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

The highly efficient red-emissive carbon dots (R-CDs) were synthesized from citric acid, polyethyleneimine, and benzil via a facile solvothermal process. The R-CDs displayed maximum fluorescence properties at excitation and emission wavelengths of 550 and 631 nm, respectively, which fall within the red wavelength range. Moreover, the R-CDs exhibited a high fluorescence quantum yield of 11.3 %, and this fluorescence was effectively quenched by Sunset Yellow (SY). Consequently, a novel fluorescent probe was developed for SY detection. This probe exhibited a linear range of 0.085-11.31 μg/mL and limit of detection of 0.026 μg/mL. The R-CDs were validated for SY quantification in various food samples, including carbonate beverages, powdered beverage, cider vinegar, fruit flavored drinks, chocolate, and hard candy samples, achieving recovery rates of 91.2-122 % and a relative standard deviation of 1.0-3.5 %. The synthesized R-CDs therefore show promise for application as a probe for the detection of SY in foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Natural pigments are an indicator component in the freshness indicator, which is advantageous due to their safety, renewability, and low cost. However, freshness indicator with natural pigments as pH indicators has the problems of low stability and the color rendering domain could not effectively cover the shelf life of food. This paper describes the types and structures of natural pigments commonly used in freshness indicators and their color change mechanisms under different pH conditions. Also, the preparation methods of natural pigments freshness indicators are reviewed. Based on the current limitations and shortcomings faced by natural pigments freshness indicators, this paper highlights optimization strategies to enhance their sensitivity and stability, including modification, co-pigmentation, natural pigments mixing, encapsulation, and metal-ion complexation. The exploitation of these optimization strategies can help develop natural pigment-based intelligent packaging with superior performance to meet the food industry's needs for quality and safety monitoring., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new convenient method for identifying colorant compounds (CCs) in food matrices was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector and quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HPLC-DAD-Q/TOF-MS) combined with theoretical calculations. A model sample containing three typical CCs was completely separated via HPLC-DAD. The obtained 3D ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra revealed the maximum absorption wavelengths (MAWs) of all CCs (yellow, 430 nm; red, 520 nm; blue, 620 nm) in the range of 400-800 nm, and their colors were determined based on their MAWs. Temporary structures of the CCs were obtained using Q/TOF-MS analysis. Theoretical calculations were then performed to obtain the theoretical MAWs and colors of the CCs according to their calculated UV-vis spectra based on temporary structures. The structures of the CCs were confirmed without the need for authoritative standards by comparing the consistency between their experimental and theoretical MAWs and colors. This method is particularly suitable for identifying CCs or compounds with UV-Vis absorption, including new compounds, compounds for which standards are difficult to obtain, and known compounds without reporting relevant molecular information., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ion pair-based surfactant-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drops has been developed to extract Allura red (AR), tartrazine (TAR), and fast green (FG) prior to spectrophotometric determination. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was employed as ion-pairing agent to enhance the hydrophobic behavior of anionic dyes. 1-undecanol and ethanol were used as the extraction and dispersion solvents, respectively. The dyes were quantitatively extracted in the presence of KCl (0.15 mol L -1 ) at pH 4.0. The method exhibits wide linearity (15.0-1500.0 μg L -1 for AR, 35.0-2000.0 μg L -1 for TAR, and 3.0-1200.0 μg L -1 for FG) with preconcentration factors of 19.6, 20.1, and 19.9, respectively. The detection limit was 3.7. 9.5, and 0.83 μg L -1 for AR, TAR, and FG, respectively. The relative standard deviation did not exceed 2.1 %. The procedure was applied for the determination of these dyes in food samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine-H 2 O 2 (TMB-H 2 O 2 ) platform has gained widespread use for rapid detection of various analytes in foods. However, the existing TMB-H 2 O 2 platforms suffer from limited accuracy, as their signal output is confined to the visible region, which is prone to interference from various food colorants in real samples. To address this challenge, a novel Au@Os-mediated TMB-H 2 O 2 platform is developed for both rapid and accurate detection of analytes in foods. The prepared Au@Os NPs exhibit remarkable peroxidase-like activity, making the platform display dual absorption peaks in visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions, respectively. This Au@Os-mediated TMB-H 2 O 2 platform exhibited three linear ranges across different concentrations of ziram from 1-100, 150-600, and 800-2000 nM with limit of detection (LOD) 7.9 nM and limit of quantification (LOQ) 24.15 nM respectively. Further, the Au@Os-mediated TMB-H 2 O 2 platform was also used for rapid and accurate detection of ziram in real food samples like apple, tomato, and black tea., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The hibiscus calyx contains 0.3-2.4% total anthocyanins, and is a promising source for naturally red food colorants. In this study, commercially available hibiscus calyces were subjected to ethanolic-aqueous extraction and chromatographic enrichment with the XAD-7HP resin, to create scalable, high-anthocyanin and low-acidity natural food colorants. Anthocyanins, organic and phenolic acids were monitored after each step using UHPLC-DAD and UHPLC-QQQ/MS. 75.67% total anthocyanins were recovered from calyces after double extractions, and the content increased by 8.50-14.90 times after the column enrichment, reaching 14.51-31.90% (by dry weight) in the final product. Chromatographic fractionation was also shown to effectively increase the total phenolic acids by 11.01-16.22 times, and remove an average of 98.58% of the total organic acids. High intensity redness at pH 2.5-3.5 indicated that the final product may be a promising, versatile natural food and beverage colorant in low pH products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In Chile, limited information is available on colorants in commonly consumed foods among vulnerable age groups. We developed and validated a rapid HPLC-DAD method to simultaneously evaluate 11 synthetic colorants in candies, beverages, ice cream, and cereals. The method exhibited excellent analytical performance for all 11 colorants with LOD (0.44 - 1.55 mgL -1 ), LOQ v(1.32 - 4.70 mgL -1 ), precision (4.0 and 7.3% RSD), and recovery (80 - 105%) in fortified matrices (10-50-100 mgL -1 ). The highest detection frequencies were as follows: cereals > candies > beverages > ice cream. Sunset Yellow was the most prevalent colorant in all food matrices, followed by Allura Red and Azorubine. Positive samples contained between 1 and 5 synthetic colorants. With the exception of cereals, the colorant concentrations in the remaining matrices exceeded the Codex Alimentarius regulations and the values reported in other studies worldwide, indicating the Chilean population is at risk., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MeI) is a potential carcinogen widely used in food colours. EU regulations specify a maximum allowable concentration of 200 ppm for 4-MeI in caramel colours. This study reports an electrochemical determination technique for 4-MeI in caramel colours for the first time. The effect of pH and interference from air were studied to optimize the detection conditions on a glassy carbon electrode in aqueous alkaline solutions using square wave voltammetry (SWV) technique. The concentration of 4-MeI was quantitatively measured down to 10 μM (∼0.8 ppm). Traditional methods such as HPLC, GC, spectrometry and immunoassays involve either expensive instrumentation and reagents or time consuming preparation and detection processes. This study demonstrates the possibility of rapid and simple electrochemical determination of (4-MeI) in food colours with minimum workup using a portable potentiostat., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Quinoline yellow (QY), as a food coloring agent, will consume a large number of detoxifying substances in the body after being ingested by the human body, interfering with the normal metabolic functions of the human body, and may cause allergies, diarrhea and other symptoms, as well as a certain degree of carcinogenicity, posing a great threat to human health. As a result, it is critical to develop a fast, sensitive, and effective approach to determining quinoline yellow in food. In this study, carbon dots (N-CQDs) with high fluorescence quantum yield were prepared and used to determine the QY content using the dual mode of internal filtering effect and fluorescence emission shift detection. Both methods showed good linearity in the range of QY concentration of 0.3-3.2 μM, and the detection limits were classified as 2.6 nM and 0.18 μM. In addition, in order to achieve visual detection of QY, fluorescent test strips were constructed using the carbon dots and non-fluorescent qualitative filter paper to make the detection of QY more convenient. This probe presents a novel way for detecting quinoline yellow in food analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Some synthetic dyes are fraudulently added into spices to appeal visually to consumers. Food regulations in several countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan and the European Union, strictly prohibit the use of unauthorised synthetic dyes in food. Nevertheless, illegal practices persist, where spices contaminated with potentially carcinogenic dyes have been documented, posing potential health risks to consumers. In the present study, 14 synthetic dyes were investigated through liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in 252 commercially available spices in the Singapore market. In 18 out of these (7.1%) at least 1 illegal dye was detected at concentrations ranging from 0.010 to 114 mg/kg. Besides potential health risks, presence of these adulterants also reflects the economic motivations behind their fraudulent use. Findings in the present study further emphasise the need for increased public awareness, stricter enforcement, and continuous monitoring of illegal synthetic dyes in spices to ensure Singapore's food safety.

Aluminum is added to many food colors to change their solubility. This study compares the aluminum-containing food color carmine with its aluminum-free version carminic acid (both E 120), hypothesizing that the addition of aluminum does not only change the color's solubility, but also its effects on human cells. We could show that carmine, but not carminic acid, is taken up by gastrointestinal Caco-2 and umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Clear differences between gene expression profiles of Caco-2 cells exposed to carmine, carminic acid or control were shown. KEGG analysis revealed that carmine-specific genes suppress oxidative phosphorylation, and showed that this suppression is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. Furthermore, carmine, but not carminic acid, increased proliferation of Caco-2 cells. Our findings show that a food color containing aluminum induces different cellular effects compared to its aluminum-free form, which is currently not considered in EU legislation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ponceau 4R (E124) and carmoisine (CMS; E122) are frequently utilized azo synthetic dyes in the food industry owing to their aesthetically pleasing coloration and broad consumer acceptability. It is imperative to prioritize environmentally favorable technologies for quantifying these dyes, as excessive consumption of these poses significant health risks., Objective: The primary objective of this research was to establish a reversed-phase (RP)-HPLC method that could simultaneously detect Ponceau 4R and CMS, implementing green analytical chemistry (GAC) and analytical quality by design (AQbD), using an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique in commercial food samples., Methods: An Agilent Eclipse Plus column (C18, 250 × 4.6 mm id, 5 µm) was utilized for effective separation with a mobile phase of ethanol-acetate buffer pH 5 (60:40, v/v), flow rate of 1 mL/min, and detection wavelength of 515 nm. Critical variables selected for method optimization were ethanol percentage and flow rate, determined using central composite design (CCD). In order to adhere to the 12 principles of green chemistry, hazardous solvents were substituted with ethanol, which is distinguished by its ease of use, effectiveness, and ecological sustainability. The greenness assessment was conducted utilizing the green analytical procedure index (GAPI), analytical eco-scale (AES), and analytical greenness metrics (AGREE)., Results: The respective retention times for Ponceau 4R and CMS were 2.276 and 3.450 min. The recovery rate of Ponceau 4R and CMS fluctuated between 70% and 102% and 80% and 102%, respectively, across various marketed food samples. The procedure passed validation in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization Q14 guidelines., Conclusion: The devised method demonstrates that the validation parameters like linearity, precision, sensitivity, and reproducibility are within the specified limits of ICH guidelines. The greenness assesment tools GAPI, AES, and AGREE produced the most favorable results., Highlights: In future, environmentally sustainable, solvent-based, robust AQbD methodologies for assessing varieties of food colorants may be adopted and improved commercially., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Consumers all across the world are looking for the most delectable and appealing foods, while also demanding products that are safer, more nutritious, and healthier. Substitution of synthetic colorants with natural colorants has piqued consumer and market interest in recent years. Due to increasing demand, extensive research has been conducted to find natural and safe food additives, such as natural pigments, that may have health benefits. Natural colorants are made up of a variety of pigments, many of which have significant biological potential. Because of the promising health advantages, natural colorants are gaining immense interest in the dairy industry. This review goes over the use of various natural colorants in dairy products which can provide desirable color as well as positive health impacts. The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth look into the field of food (natural or synthetic) colorants applied in dairy products as well as their potential health benefits, safety, general trends, and future prospects  in food science and technology. In this paper, we listed a plethora of applications of natural colorants in various milk-based products.

This article presents an original planar carbon fiber electrode (PCFE), in which shungite (SHU) is used as a modifier for the first time. Shungite is a unique natural nanostructured composite consisting of carbon in the form of aggregated graphene stacks, oxides of silicon, titanium, aluminum, iron, magnesium, potassium, etc. Macro- and micro-elements, biologically active components that are present in shungite provide it with attractive antioxidant properties, make it a biocompatible and environmentally friendly material that meets the principles of green chemistry. A unique supramolecular structure of shungite carbon presents a multilayer globular-cluster formation with mesopores in the internal volume. It determines specific physical, chemical, catalytic, and adsorption properties of shungite. Carbon fiber with an irregular 3D structure was used as an effective electrode platform for strong immobilization of shungite. The PCFE was fabricated using a simple and scalable hot lamination technology that produces very low cost flexible planar electrodes. The sensor (SHU/PCFE) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy; electrochemical impedance analysis; cyclic, differential-pulse and stripping voltammetry. The SHU/PCFE showed a 2.5-fold increase in the electroactive surface area, a 1.8-fold decrease in the electron transfer resistance compared with the bare PCFE. Under optimal experimental conditions and preconcentration at +0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) 180 s, the developed sensor allowed the quantification of Allura Red in the ranges of 0.001-0.1 and 0.1-2 μmol L -1 with an extremely low detection limit of 0.36 nmol L -1 . Moreover, this convenient and cost-effective sensor also has good repeatability, stability and anti-interference ability. The interfering effect of sweeteners and preservatives in the determination of Allura Red does not exceed 3.6%. The practical application of the SHU/PCFE was demonstrated using drink samples, lollipops and pharmaceuticals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Natalia Yu. Stozhko reports financial support was provided by The Russian Science Foundation., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Safety concerns in the food industry have increased the demand for natural food colorants. However, the application ranges of natural blue colorants are insufficient because they are scarce in nature, and the currently available natural blue dyes are limited to water-soluble products. In this study, we investigated a fat-soluble azulene derivative isolated from the mushroom Lactarius indigo as a potential candidate for a natural blue colorant. We developed its first total synthesis, where the azulene skeleton was constructed from a pyridine derivative and an ethynyl group was converted into an isopropenyl group using zirconium complexes. Moreover, nanoparticles of the azulene derivative were prepared via reprecipitation method, and their colorant ability was investigated in aqueous solutions. The new candidate food colorant exhibited a deep-blue color in an organic solvent and aqueous dispersion.

In recent years, artificial additives, especially synthetic food colorants, were found to demonstrate wider properties compared to their natural equivalents; however, their health impact is still not totally mapped. Our study aimed to determine the long-term (30 and 90 days) exposure effect of one of the commonly used artificial food colorants, tartrazine, on NMRI mice. The applied dose of tartrazine referred to the human equivalent dose for acceptable daily intake (ADI). Further, we evaluated its impact on the transcription of a range of epigenetic effectors, members of the DNA methyltransferase ( DNMT ) as well as histone deacetylase ( HDAC) families. Following the exposure, organ biopsies were collected from the lungs, kidneys, liver, and spleen, and the gene expression levels were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Our results demonstrated significant upregulation of genes in the tested organs in various patterns followed by the intake of tartrazine on ADI. Since DNMT and HDAC genes are involved in different steps of carcinogenesis, have roles in the development of neurological disorders and the effect of dose of everyday exposure is rarely studied, further investigation is warranted to study these possible associations.

This study developed a rapid and easy analytical method for the simultaneous determination of nine synthetic colourants (SCs) in capsule dietary supplements. Sample pretreatment involved thermal treatment to dissolve gelatin, using the enzymes protease and amylase to prevent the gelation of gelatin and fat-soluble substances removal using petroleum ether. The method was linear ( r 2 ≥0.999), with LOD of 0.009-0.029 μg/mL and LOQ of 0.42-1.40 μg/g. Recovery ranged from 90.9 to 108.9%. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty ranged from 4.1 to 6.3%. Allura Red AC (R40) and Brilliant Blue FCF (B1) were commonly detected in 20 of the 28 samples. Up to six SCs such as Tartrazine (Y4), Sunset yellow (Y5), Amaranth (R2), Erythrosine B (R3), R40 and B1 were detected in a single sample, ranging from 30.5 to 40.2 μg/g. Total content of SCs in various capsule supplements ranged from 0.3 to 73.7 μg/g.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with the advantages of high sensitivity, nondestructive analysis, and a unique fingerprint effect shows great potential in point-of-care testing (POCT). However, SERS faces challenges in rapidly constructing a substrate with high repeatability, homogeneity, and sensitivity, which are the key factors that restrict its practical applications. In this study, we propose a one-step chemical printing strategy for synthesizing a three-dimensional (3D) plasmon-coupled silver nanocoral (AgNC) substrate (only need about 5 min) without any pretreatments and complex instruments. The galvanic replacement between AgNO 3 and Cu sheets will provide both Ag 0 for the formation of silver nanostructures and Cu 2+ for the polymerization of fish sperm DNA (FSDNA). The protection of AgNCs is facilitated by the crosslinked FSDNA, which can improve the stability of the substrate and promote the control of its coral-like morphology. The obtained substrate displays excellent capacity of signal enhancement due to the 3D plasmon coupling both between nanocoral tentacles and between nanocorals and Cu sheets as well. Therefore, the AgNC substrates display high activity (enhancement factor = 1.96 × 10 8 ) and uniformity (RSD < 6%). Food colorants have been widely used in various foods to improve their color, but the inevitable toxicity of colorants seriously threatens food safety. Therefore, the proposed AgNC substrates were used to directly quantify three kinds of weak-affinity food colorant molecules including Brilliant Blue, Allura Red, and Sunset Yellow assisted by the capture by cysteamine hydrochloride (CA), showing the detection limits ( S / N = 3) of 0.053, 0.087, and 0.089 ppm, respectively. The SERS method has been further applied in the detection of the three kinds of food colorants in both complex food samples and urine with recoveries of 91-119%. The satisfactory detection results suggest that the facile preparation strategy of AgNC substrates will be widely used in SERS-based POCT to promote the development of food safety and on-site healthcare.

It is necessary to determine whether synthetic dyes are present in food since their excessive use has detrimental effects on human health. For the simultaneous assessment of tartrazine and Patent Blue V, a novel electrochemical sensing platform was developed. As a result, two artificial azo colorants (Tartrazine and Patent Blue V) with toxic azo groups (-NN-) and other carcinogenic aromatic ring structures were examined. With a low limit of detection of 0.06 μM, a broad linear concentration range 0.09μM to 950μM, and a respectable recovery, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was able to reveal the excellent sensing performance of the suggested electrode for patent blue V. The electrochemical performance of an electrode can be characterized using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, the classification model was created by applying binary classification assessment using enhanced artificial intelligence comprises of support vector machine (SVM) and Genetic Algorithm (GA), respectively, a support vector machine and a genetic algorithm, which was then validated using the 50 dyes test set. The best binary logistic regression model has an accuracy of 83.2% and 81.1%, respectively, while the best SVM model has an accuracy of 90.3% for the training group of samples and 81.1% for the test group (RMSE = 0.644, R2 = 0.873, C = 205.41, and = 5.992). According to the findings, Cu-BTC MOF (copper (II)-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) has a crystal structure and is tightly packed with hierarchically porous nanomaterials, with each particle's edge measuring between 20 and 37 nm. The suggested electrochemical sensor's analytical performance is suitable for foods like jellies, condiments, soft drinks and candies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Colorant tartrazine is widely used in the food industry, but its long-term and excessive consumption is harmful to human health. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a sensitive detection method for tartrazine. Blue fluorescent carbon dots with L-arginine and o -phenylenediamine as precursors, namely L-Arg/oPD-CDs, were prepared via the hydrothermal method. Then, L-Arg/oPD-CDs were further purified by dialysis, thin layer chromatography and column chromatography. A dual-mode nanosensor based on fluorescent and UV absorption was successfully developed. Excellent linear ranges of 0-5 μM and 10-50 μM were obtained with a low detection limit of 42.3 nM based on fluorescence. A good linear range of 0-50 μM was obtained with a low detection limit of 130.15 nM based on UV absorption. The quenching mechanism of tartrazine towards L-Arg/oPD-CDs fluorescence was the inner filter effect. In addition, a dual-mode nanosensor was used for tartrazine determination in millet, maize flour, carbonated drink, and sugar samples. This study provides new insight into the detection of tartrazine by applying a dual-mode nanosensor.

Solid-state SERS sensors are desirable point-of-care tools due to their portability. However, the level of SERS sensitivity achieved in liquid phase is rarely duplicated in the solid phase. We report herein the fabrication of a SERS sensor using alumina beads as the solid support and demonstrate its high SERS sensitivity with the model analyte 4-aminophenyl disulfide (4-APDS). The key to sensitivity is a hydrophilic-hydrophobic surface gradient constructed by sequentially coating with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and fluorous 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane. The surface gradient, together with chloride etching, allows the detection of 4-APDS at the low concentration of 10 -15 M. The practicality of the sensor beads is evidenced by successfully tracking the SERS fingerprints of five food colorant standards in the SERS spectra of a popular candy product. These SERS sensor beads are easy to prepare, convenient to use, and highly responsive as a SERS platform for the analysis of colorants., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The existing strategies for the determination of synthetic food colorants (FCs) in manufactured foods are highly relied on specialized instruments and skilled personnel which are limited by the high technical threshold and instrumentation cost. Herein, highly branched pipette tips (PTs) were fabricated as a robust all-in-one device for high-performance extraction and visual detection of FCs via handy aspiration and dispensing procedures of pipette controller. The density of extraction groups and inner specific surface area of PTs greatly increased after facile physical coating and subsequent layer-by-layer branching reactions, and the maximum increment in binding capacity of PTs was exceeded 300 times at 8-10 iterations of branching layers, enabling the PTs to be colored just by short-time extraction of FCs and to achieve the instrument-independent visual detection of FCs by virtue of their outstanding PT-SPE performance. As a proof-of-concept, the in-situ PT-based solid phase extraction (PT-SPE) with high recoveries (from 91.73 ± 4.76% to 99.90 ± 4.14%) and semiquantitative naked-eye detection of FCs (Allura red and brilliant blue) in real beverages were experimentally demonstrated to be highly feasible by comparison with classical techniques like spectrophotometry, HPLC, and mass spectrometry., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Synthetic food colorants are extensively used across the globe regardless of the fact that they induce deleterious side effects when used in higher amounts. In this work, a novel electrochemical sensor based on nickel nanoparticles doped lettuce-like Co 3 O 4 anchored graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets was developed for effective detection of sulfonated azo dye sunset yellow widely used as a food colorant. Hydrothermal synthesis was adopted for the preparation of lettuce-like spinel Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles and Ni-Co 3 O 4 NPs/GO nanocomposite was prepared using ecofriendly and economical sonochemical method. The prepared ternary nanocomposite meticulously fabricated on a screen-printed carbon electrode exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards sunset yellow determination. This is apparent from the resultant well-defined and intense redox peak currents of Ni-Co 3 O 4 NPs/GO nanocomposite modified electrode at very low potentials. The developed sunset yellow sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 4.16 μA μM -1  cm -2 and a nanomolar detection limit of 0.9 nM in the linear range 0.125-108.5 μM. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to affirm excellent stability, reproducibility, repeatability, and selectivity of proposed sensor. The practicality of sunset yellow determination using the developed sensor was analyzed in different varieties of food samples including jelly, soft drink, ice cream, and candy resulting in recovery in the range of 96.16%-102.56%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) method coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for the determination of illegal basic dyes in food samples was developed and validated. This method was based on Magnetic sulfonated reduced graphene oxide (M-S-RGO), which was sensitive and selective to analytes with structure of multiaromatic rings and negatively charged ions. Several factors affecting MSPE efficiency such as pH and adsorption time were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration curves exhibited good linearity, ranging from 5 to 60 µg/g with correlation coefficients >0.9950. The limits of detection of 16 basic dyes were in the range of 0.01-0.2 µg/L. The recoveries ranged from 70% to 110% with RSD% < 10%. The results indicate that M-S-RGO is an efficient and selective adsorbent for the extraction and cleanup of basic dyes. Due to the MSPE procedures, matrix effect and interference were eliminated in the analysis of HPLC-MS/MS without the matrix-matched standards. Thus, validation data showed that the proposed MSPE-HPLC-MS/MS method was rapid, efficient, selective, and sensitive for the determination of illegal basic dyes in foods.

There is growing evidence from human and animal studies indicating an association between exposure to synthetic food dyes and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in children. However, data gaps persist for potential mechanisms by which the synthetic food dyes could elicit neurobehavioral impacts. We developed an approach to evaluate seven US FDA-batch-certified food dyes using publicly available high-throughput screening (HTS) data from the US EPA's Toxicity Forecaster to assess potential underlying molecular mechanisms that may be linked to neurological pathway perturbations. The dyes were screened through 270 assays identified based on whether they had a neurological-related gene target and/or were mapped to neurodevelopmental processes or neurobehavioral outcomes, and were conducted in brain tissue, targeted specific hormone receptors, or targeted oxidative stress and inflammation. Some results provided support for neurological impacts found in human and animal studies, while other results showed a lack of correlation with in vivo findings. The azo dyes had a range of activity in assays mapped to G-protein-coupled receptors and were active in assays targeting dopaminergic, serotonergic, and opioid receptors. Assays mapped to nuclear receptors (androgen, estrogen, and thyroid hormone) also exhibited activity with the food dyes. Other molecular targets included the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, acetylcholinesterase, and monoamine oxidase. The Toxicological Prioritization Index tool was used to visualize the results of the Novascreen assays. Our results highlight certain limitations of HTS assays but provide insight into potential underlying mechanisms of neurobehavioral effects observed in in vivo animal toxicology studies and human clinical studies.

The use of artificial colorants in food is highly regulated due to their potential to harm human health. Thus, it is crucial to detect these substances effectively to ensure conformance with industrial standards. In this work, we prepared a photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor and a charged coupled device (CCD)-based ECL sensor and compared their merits in the detection of sunset yellow (SY) dye. The sensors used C,N quantum dot-embedded g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets (QDs@NSs) as the ECL agent and K 2 S 2 O 8 as the coreactant. SY was analyzed on the basis of amplification in the QDs@NHs-K 2 S 2 O 8 ECL system. The PMT-based sensor realized ultrasensitive detection using a single electrode, especially at low concentrations of SY. A CCD-based sensor imaged the ECL phenomenon of an electrode array and provided the advantages of high throughput and time savings. Under optimized conditions, both sensors exhibited high specificity, reproducibility and stability; detection limits of 20 nM with PMT detection and 5 μM with CCD detection were determined for SY, with detection ranging over at least two decades. The practical feasibilities of these systems were confirmed by satisfactory detection of SY in real drink samples., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analytical method for both qualitative screening and quantitative determination of 90 synthetic dyes including ten groups of isomers in foods has been established. An in-house synthetic dyes database and characteristic ions were also developed. Based on Q-Orbitrap HRMS, mass spectrum and fragmentation patterns of synthetic dyes were studied, which indicated that double charged ions were usually the main precursor ions. Matrix effects were successfully eliminated by the C 18 d-SPE clean-up coupled with dilute and shoot approach with methanol-water (1:4, v/v) in 100-fold. For most of the compounds, mean recoveries were satisfactory between 70% and 120% with RSD < 20% at three spiked level in the range of 0.025-1.0 mg/kg. The screening detection limits ranged from 0.025 - 1.0 mg/kg. Method validation showed that the established method was efficient, rapid and high-throughput, which has been successfully applied to the monitoring of these water-soluble synthetic dyes in foods., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel nanocomposite film of chitosan/graphene oxide (CHIT/GO)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was applied to fabricate glassy carbon electrode (CHIT/GO/MWCNTs/AuNPs/GCE) for the determination of Tartrazine (TZ), synthetic dyes in food products. The electrochemical sensors found it to be highly sensitive by combining the signal amplification properties of GO and the excellent electronic and antifouling properties of MWCNTs. The CHIT/GO/MWCNTs/AuNPs/GCE exhibited as superior electron transfer materials and possesses intercalation properties which provide synergistic influence on the increment of the current signals. The optimum conditions were found at pH 7, 30 s, and 0.3 Vs -1 . The modified GCE obtained with a linear response ranging from 10 to 100 mg mL -1 ( r 2 = 0.99037) with a sensitivity of 0.018 μA μM -1 . The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification obtained were 1.45 and 4.83 mg mL -1 , respectively. The determination of TZ in spiked samples was reliable with recovery percentage from 94.52 to 109.0%. The developed sensor successfully tested in the determination of TZ analyte in commercial candy, jelly, and soft drinks with acceptable results.

Flowers of the genus Impatiens are classified as edible; however, their inclusion in the human diet is not yet a common practice. Its attractive colours have stirred great interest by the food industry. In this sense, rose (BP) and orange (BO) I. balsamina flowers were nutritionally studied, followed by an in-depth chemical study profile. The non-anthocyanin and anthocyanin profiles of extracts of both flower varieties were also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array and mass spectrometry detector (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS). The results demonstrated that both varieties presented significant amounts of phenolic compounds, having identified nine non-anthocyanin compounds and 14 anthocyanin compounds. BP extract stood out in its bioactive properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial potential) and was selected for incorporation in "bombocas" filling. Its performance as a colouring ingredient was compared with the control formulations (white filling) and with E163 (anthocyanins) colorant. The incorporation of the natural ingredient did not cause changes in the chemical and nutritional composition of the product; and although the colour conferred was lighter than presented by the formulation with E163 (suggesting a more natural aspect), the higher antioxidant activity could meet the expectations of the current high-demand consumer.

Carmines (E120) are used worldwide as natural food colouring agents of animal origin, with a widespread application, including yoghurts. Despite being considered safe for human health, carmines are known to cause allergic reactions. Our goal was to evaluate the presence of carmines in different yoghurts with a label declaration of E120, purchased in Portugal, and, for the first time, to assess the human risk. The analytical methodology, recommended by JECFA, was based on acid hydrolysis of the samples followed by spectrophotometric UV-Vis analysis at 494 nm. This methodology allowed for a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 39.0 mg/kg and recovery rates higher than 97.7%. All the samples had carmines at levels above the LOQ, ranging between 43.8 and 193.8 mg/kg, with an average of 125.2 ± 34.5 mg/kg. In total, 8 (26.7%) samples exceeded the European Union (EU) maximum permitted level (MPL) established for carmines in this foodstuff, 150 mg/kg. Solid yoghurts presented higher average levels, 137.2 mg/kg, when compared to liquid samples, 107.2 mg/kg, with a significant statistical difference ( p = 0.0236) being observed. No significant statistical difference was observed between white and private labels, whose average levels were very similar, 125.4 vs 125 mg/kg, respectively. Although some samples were above the allowable values, the estimated daily intake (EDI), designed for the different scenarios of different yoghurt types, did not exceed the established ADI, 5 mg/kg bw/day. According to the obtained results, carmine ingestion through the consumption of yoghurt poses low risk to the Portuguese consumers. However, children were the most vulnerable population group with a calculated risk value of up to 10% considering the mean content scenario. These first findings point out the need to reinforce surveillance programmes and monitoring studies, contributing to an increased awareness regarding carmine exposure, however it must be emphasised that yoghurt has evident nutritional benefits depending on a healthful consumer choice.

In this paper, using a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as an ionic liquid (IL) and NiFe 2 O 4 -rGO nanocomposite (IL/NiFe2O4/rGO/CPE), a sensitive and effective electrochemical sensor is applied to analyze Sunset Yellow. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are employed to characterize the synthesized NiFe 2 O 4 -rGO nanocomposite. The oxidation peak currents of colorants were obtained by CV and DPV techniques; and as a result, the two linear ranges from 0.05 to 30 μM (R 2  = 0.9939) and 30 to 500 μM (R 2  = 0.9953) along with LOD of 0.03 μM for Sunset Yellow is obtained. The proposed sensor is successfully applied to determine the Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine and Allura Red in PBS (pH 3). The IL/NiFe 2 O 4 /rGO/CPE displays a high performance for analysis of these dyes in hair shampoo and an orange juice as real samples with acceptable results., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, an ultrasensitive sensing system based on fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) was developed for the tartrazine (Tar) determination. The CDs were prepared via a simple one-pot hydrothermal method with m-phenylenediamine as the only precursor. The physical and chemical properties were in detail characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), MALDI-TOF MS, UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Upon exposure to Tar, the fluorescence of CDs was efficiently quenched via the dynamic interaction between CDs and Tar as well as the inner filter effect (IFE). With this information, the CDs were proposed as a fluorescence probe for Tar detection. It was found that CDs had high sensitivity and selectivity for Tar sensing, and the linear relationship was observed in the range of 0.01-25.0 μM with the corresponding detection limit (3σ/k) of 12.4 nM, which is much more sensitive than any of the existed CD-based sensing platform. The investigated sensing system was finally utilized for Tar sensing in various food matrices with a high degree of accuracy. The spiked recoveries were in a range of 96.4-105.2%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 4.13%. This work highlights the great application prospects of CDs for Tar sensing in a rapid, simple, and sensitive way.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the phenolic composition of crude lyophilized extracts (CLE) and partially purified (PPE) extracts of C. ternatea blue petals as well as the anthocyanin stability against pH, temperature and light in the presence and absence of fructooligosaccharides. Twelve compounds were tentatively identified by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in CLE and PPE extracts. In direct/reverse spectrophotometric titration, anthocyanins showed colour changes between pH 2.25 to 10.20, and colour reversibility, maintaining antioxidant activity against the DPPH radical. The aqueous extracts at pH 3.6 and 5.4 exhibited thermal stability with the presence and absence of fructooligosaccharides with activation energy higher than 99 kJ/mol. The addition of fructooligosaccharides in the extracts at pH 5.4 exposed to light provided a protective effect against anthocyanin photodegradation. The data show the technological potential of aqueous extract of C. ternatea blue petals as a natural colourant in a functional beverage model system., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Anthocyanins are polyphenol compounds that render various hues of pink, red, purple, and blue in flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Anthocyanins also play significant roles in plant propagation, ecophysiology, and plant defense mechanisms. Structurally, anthocyanins are anthocyanidins modified by sugars and acyl acids. Anthocyanin colors are susceptible to pH, light, temperatures, and metal ions. The stability of anthocyanins is controlled by various factors, including inter and intramolecular complexations. Chromatographic and spectrometric methods have been extensively used for the extraction, isolation, and identification of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins play a major role in the pharmaceutical; nutraceutical; and food coloring, flavoring, and preserving industries. Research in these areas has not satisfied the urge for natural and sustainable colors and supplemental products. The lability of anthocyanins under various formulated conditions is the primary reason for this delay. New gene editing technologies to modify anthocyanin structures in vivo and the structural modification of anthocyanin via semi-synthetic methods offer new opportunities in this area. This review focusses on the biogenetics of anthocyanins; their colors, structural modifications, and stability; their various applications in human health and welfare; and advances in the field.

Despite the daily consumption of copper chlorophylls (E-141i), the green food colorants in foods high in fats, there is a general need for knowledge regarding their exact composition. Consequently, we have analyzed by HPLC-ESI(+)/APCI(+)-hrTOF-MS 2 the accurate composition of different commercial copper chlorophyll colorants for the first time. Data showed a favored yield of copper pheophytins from a series, while pheophytins from b series are preferentially no complexed with copper. The copper pheophytins present in the food colorants consisted mainly of three structural rearrangements. New fragmentation patterns and structural assignments have been described for several copper pheophytins. During the ingestion of copper chlorophylls, no chlorophyll derivative was present in serum nor urine except a new copper-pyroporphyrin a accumulated in a few livers. In any case, this green additive could represent the ideal food colorant, as most of the copper pheophytins are excreted in the feces showing almost no absorption of copper-chlorophylls compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A simple, accurate, and precise bioanalytical method was developed and validated for the determination of pharmacokinetic parameters of sodium copper chlorophyllin, a USFDA approved food additive and colorant in rat plasma. The column used was Luna ® C 18 250×4.6 mm, 100 Å, having particle size 4.5 μm, and the mobile phase used was methanol (MeOH), and 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer in the ratio of 90 : 10, the flow rate was 1 ml/min, and the injection volume of 20 μL. The retention time of sodium copper chlorophyllin was obtained at 9 min. The method was found to be linear at the range of 0.50-8.00 μg mL -1 ., (© 2020 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Due to the proven carcinogenicity of Sudan III and IV dyes, they are considered global public health issues. They are banned in all forms as food colourants. We propose the monitoring of simple and easy-to-measure optical properties of palm oils, such as the refractive indices and spectrophotometric properties, as efficient indicators to detect adulteration. Coupling these results with principal component analysis, excess refractive index, and integration of transmittance introduces a novel detection tool for the authentication of edible palm oil. This opens a new opportunity for accurate handheld devices to detect adulteration and provide control in the field. This work assessed in total of 49 samples, some collected from different parts of Ghana and others, in-house adulterated samples. The Ghana Food and Drugs Authority, who performed a complex and expensive chemical analysis of the samples, confirmed our results with good agreement.

A tiered intake assessment approach, ranging from the conservative default and refined budget method to refined dietary exposure assessments using national food consumption surveys is presented and applied to derive maximum potential global colour intake estimates. The US and UK markets served as representative for the world and the EU, respectively, to determine the maximum potential exposure ceilings for eleven colours in various sub-populations, including brand-loyal consumers. Industry-reported global use levels were assigned as the maximum level. Conservative intake assessments for food colours used in non-alcoholic beverages were estimated for the general population 2 + y, toddlers, children 3-9 y, adolescents 10-17 y, adults 18-64 y, elderly 65-74 y, very elderly 75 + y based on assumed uses in high intake markets. Refined dietary exposures were estimated using either the 2-day food consumption data from the 2013-2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or the 4-day food consumption data from the 2008-2016 U.K. National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme. In the most refined market-share adjusted assessment, brand-specific market volume data were used to place appropriate weight on corresponding beverage type uses. Strong concordance between the refined budget method and the brand-loyal deterministic approach was shown, in which the latter assumes that the maximum use level of the colour is present in 100% of non-alcoholic beverages. This study shows that safety of colours - both synthetic and natural - in beverages at proposed use levels can be supported for any geography, with all intake estimates falling below the acceptable daily intake in refined assessments. Importantly, this study demonstrates that the refined budget method is a valid first-tier screening assessment to prioritise food colours that may benefit from more refined intake assessments when warranted.

Herein, we report three-dimensional paper chromatography (3D-PC) as a micro-chromatographic platform. The method was based on applying the origami microfluidic device for separation, coupled by colorimetric methods for simultaneous determination. The microfluidic device fabrication was a facile printing approach. Two azo food dyes, Tartrazine (E102) and Indigo carmine (E132), were selected as a model analyte, while carbonate-bicarbonate buffer was used as the mobile phase. Our micro-chromatographic device is associated with two big advantages including needing very small volume of mobile phase ( ~12 µL) and ultrafast separation time (~35 s). Under the optimal conditions, the method provided acceptable linear ranges of 0. 0 g L 1 -18.0 g L 1 (R 2  = 0.997) for E102 and 0.070 g L 1 -10.0 g L 1 for E132 and the limits of detection (3σ/slope) were evaluated as 0.620 and 0.060 g L 1 , respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied in the separation and quantification of these dyes in commercial food products such as jelly, candy, and four kinds of drink samples without any sample preparation prior to analysis. The mean recovery values for the real sample analysis were in the range of 100.14%-102.38% for E132 and E102 respectively. The inter-device relative standard deviations were in the ranges of 1.5%-11.8%. In total, our chromatographic μPAD is small (1.0 cm × 1.0 cm × 0.5 cm), portable, inexpensive, no need of specialized user, requires low volumes of sample (0.5 μL), and can perform separation using 12 μL of aqueous mobile phase in very short time., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Consumption of sports drinks is generally associated with a healthy lifestyle, despites a common addition of colorants and preservatives to these products. This work presents the novel methods based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE), aimed at the simultaneous quantification of both these groups of additives within a single separation. The results obtained show that colorants are generally added in low and rather safe amounts, whereas preservatives (benzoate and sorbate) are much more abundant, and likely pose a potential risk, especially for children. The overall potential of the HPLC and CE methods was critically assessed and compared using the RGB additive color model, a user-friendly tool that allows one to point out and encode particular capabilities and general potential of a method using colors, and to express its holistic effectiveness with one integrated quantitative parameter from 0 to 100%. As a result, the potential predispositions of both methods were delineated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Synthetic colourants are highly regulated due to their correlation with a variety of health hazards. Regulatory services must be able to detect the substances in a cost-effective, efficient, and sensitive manner. LC-UV and LC-MS/MS methods have been developed to simultaneously detect five illegal colourants in foods, such as: citrus red II, diethyl yellow, dimethyl yellow, metanil yellow, and rhodamine B. This method showed good linearity ( R 2  > 0.99) and low limits of detection (0.09-0.19 mg kg -1 ) and quantitation (0.26-0.58 mg kg -1 ). The recoveries at three standard concentration levels ranged between 80.9% and 120%, with relative standard deviations below 12%. The expanded uncertainties determined for the five colourants in three food matrices were 8.2-19.4%. This method was applied to monitor five illegal colourants in imported and domestic beverages, candies, and sauces. None of the five colourants were found in any of the 510 samples. The method is suitable for quantitative analysis of five illegal colourants simultaneously in various foods and can be applied to improve current surveillance and inspection services.

The performance of 10 natural yellow colourants at different concentrations (0.001-0.3% w/v) was investigated in a model beverage system at various pH levels (3.5, 5.5 and 7.5) containing 10% w/v of sucrose, with or without ethanol (15% v/v) to simulate both alcoholic and non-alcoholic lemon-like beverages. Thus, the incidence of pH, ethanol and colourant concentration on spectral properties as well as turbidity were evaluated. The λ max was found to be independent from concentration in the tested range (0.001- 0.3% w/v), whereas the specific absorbance at λ max increased linearly. Moreover, the absorption spectrum and λ max of yellow pigments were found to be independent of pH and ethanol. Gardenia, safflower, and curcumin had the highest colour intensity and the lowest turbidity level. Heat and light stability were studied for these as well. Safflower was found to be the most stable colourant against heat (25, 40, 60, 80°C) and light (550 W/m 2 , 30°C).

A new and rapid dispersive solid phase extraction method by using a green-synthesised UiO-66(Zr)-(COOH) 2 (Zr-BTeC) adsorbent with body-centred cubic (bcu) topology was developed for determination of tartrazine in food samples. Zr-BTeC was used for the first time as an adsorbent for tartrazine. It was synthesised and characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Tartrazine was determined at 405 nm spectrophotometrically. Experimental conditions were optimised in order to achieve quantitative recoveries. The sample acidity was found to be 0.02 mol L -1 HCl. The amount of Zr-BTeC was 10 mg. Both adsorption and elution contact times were only 5 s without the need for vortexing. Elution was with 2 mL of 0.5 mol L -1 NH 3 . A sample volume of 45 mL was selected as optimum. The adsorption capacity for tartrazine with Zr-BTeC was found to be 185 mg g -1 and the adsorbent was reusable up to 40 cycles. The tartrazine concentrations found by the developed method in food supplements were compared with the results obtained by HPLC method for the same samples. Statistical analysis results showed that there are insignificant differences between the results of the two methods ( p = .05). The method was successfully applied to the determination of tartrazine in spiked chewing gums, lemon flavoured icing glaze, and jelly samples.

Phycocyanin, a natural blue colorant, is typically extracted from liquid biomass of Arthrospira platensis, a blue-green algae called spirulina. In this study, we developed a scalable process to extract phycocyanin from dried spirulina biomass. First, we established the optimal ionic strength and pH for the extraction buffer. The results showed that a minimum ionic strength (>5 g/L NaCl) must be maintained to minimize the co-extraction of the green chlorophyll. The optimal pH of the phosphate buffer (100 mM) for phycocyanin extraction is 7.5; however, the pH should be immediately adjusted to 6.0 to 6.5 after the extraction to keep phycocyanin stable. Second, we also investigated three processing techniques, that is, high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF), and ultrasonication, to break the cell walls of spirulina and facilitate the release of phycocyanins into extraction buffers. HPP and PEF do not lead to the release of phycocyanin into the extraction buffer. However, ultrasonication breaks down the spirulina into fine particles and releases most of the phycocyanin, along with other impurities, immediately after the treatment. Last, it has been revealed that most of the phycocyanin can be extracted from biomass within 3 hr by phosphate buffer only (pH 7.5, 100 mM) at room temperature. It is concluded that there is no need to treat the rehydrated biomass solution by HPP, PEF, or ultrasonication due to the minimal benefits they brought for the extraction. Based on these results, we proposed an extraction process for the plant production of phycocyanin starting from dried spirulina biomass. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Limited information can be found on the extraction of phycocyanin from dried spirulina biomass, especially how to better preserve the natural blue color of phycocyanin during extraction. We have investigated the method and presented a different view from previous processes. Pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing, and ultrasonication were employed to accelerate the extraction of phycocyanin from dried biomass. However, it was found that, unlike the extraction from live wet biomass, these techniques do not help with the extraction from dried biomass. Based on investigations, we have proposed a process that can be easily scaled up for the commercial production of phycocyanin from dried spirulina biomass., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Paper Sensor detection methods are attractive in wide analytical applications. Presented herein is a paper sensor and fluorescence methods that was firstly developed to detect curcumin (Cur) based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) and Cur. The facile fluorescent method was demonstrated to detect Cur in the range of 0-2600 μM with a detection limit of 0.13 μM. And facile paper sensor of Cur was fabricated and displayed at concentration of 0 μM, 100 μM, 200 μM, 300 μM, 400 μM, 500 μM and 600 μM, respectively. In additions, it was realized for determination of Cur in real samples including orange juice and curry solution. Compared with the reported methods, the present method is simple, rapid and sensitive for detecting Cur., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)