High performance liquid chromatographic and colorimetric determination of synthetic dyes in gelatin-containing sweets, following polyamide adsorption and ion-pair extraction with tri-n-octylamine.

Dyes are determined in gelatin-containing sweets. The gelatin must be eliminated first because it interferes with the normal ion-pair extraction of dyes with tri-n-octylamine to chloroform. Techniques such as precipitation of gelatin with organic solvents, and acid and enzymatic digestion of gelatin are shown to be unsuccessful because the remaining gelatin still influences the extraction scheme. Positive results are obtained when dyes are adsorbed on polyamide, gelatin is washed away, and dyes are desorbed with a methanol-ammonia mixture. Dyes are identified by thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and quantitated by HPLC or colorimetry.