Determination of banned azo dyes in consumer goods

Azo dyes, extensively used for coloring a variety of consumer goods, such as leather, clothes, food, and toys, can under certain conditions be reduced to form confirmed or suspected carcinogenic aromatic amines. This article gives an overview of the state of development of analytical procedures for the determination of such azo dyes, which are banned by the European Commission. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.