A Global Perspective on the History, Use, and Identification of Synthetic Food Dyes

This article presents a brief history of the artificial coloration of foods, a discussion of the worldwide use of synthetic food dyes, and methods for separating and identifying 14 dyes in common use globally. The United States Food and Drug Administration presently has certified seven synthetic dyes for use in foods. An additional seven synthetic dyes are commonly found in foods in other parts of the world. The structures of these 14 dyes, as well as their separation by paper chromatography and identification by visible absorption spectroscopy are discussed. Also included are specific ideas on how to incorporate experiments involving synthetic food dyes into the undergraduate chemistry laboratory curriculum.