Simultaneous Extraction and Determination of Allura Red (E129) and Brilliant Blue FCF (E133) in Foodstuffs by Column Solid-Phase Spectrophotometry

Background: Allura Red (AR) and Brilliant Blue FCF (BB) are highly water-soluble synthetic food dyes used to color baked goods, beverages, candies, jellies, sausages, etc. Although AR and BB are not entirely toxic, they can lead to health problems in humans. Objective: The aim of the study was to develop a column solid-phase extraction (SPE) and preconcentration method based on the adsorption on a Diaion HP-20 polymeric resin for simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of AR and BB. Methods: The column SPE method was used, and the analytical parameters of the SPE method, such as pH, sample flow rate, sample volume, etc., were systematically investigated and optimized. Results: The detection limits of AR and BB ranged between 0.90 and 0.19 mu g/L and quantification limits between 2.59 and 0.53 mu g/L, respectively. Preconcentration factors were obtained at 80 and 100 for AR and BB, respectively. The RSDs of the method were lower than 4% for both dyes. The method was successfully applied to foodstuffs. AR and BB contents in foodstuffs were determined between 9.48-407.34 and 2.96-137.12 mu g/g, respectively, for solid samples; 52.28 and 5.91 mu g/mL of dye contents of liquid samples were determined for AR and BB, respectively. Conclusions: Satisfactory recoveries show that the method will be more useful for future food quality and control applications. Highlights: The developed method exhibited simplicity and reliable, simultaneous determination of AR and BB in foodstuffs.