Extraction and Quantitation of FD&C Red Dye #40 from Beverages Containing Cranberry Juice: A College-Level Analytical Chemistry Experiment

A chemical separation experiment can be an interesting addition to an introductory analytical chemistry laboratory course. We have developed an experiment to extract FD&C Red Dye #40 from beverages containing cranberry juice. After extraction, the dye is quantified using colorimetry. The experiment gives students hands-on experience in using solid phase extraction to extract the red dye from other colorants in the red beverages. Students are also given experience with colorimetry, the Beer–Lambert law, and some wet chemical techniques. The recovery of the red dye from spiked cranberry juice was found to be 99% with a standard deviation of 2%.