Development of a matrix solid phase dispersion-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for multiresidue analysis of 25 synthetic colorants in meat products

Abstract

A novel high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method is developed for multiresidue analysis of twenty five synthetic colorants in meat matrices with matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD). Good linearity was obtained with a correlation coefficient of 0.9935–0.9999. The quantitation limits (LOQs) for 12 acidic colorants were in the range from 0.89 μg kg⁻¹ (acid orange 2) to 50.4 μg kg⁻¹ (ponceau 4R) except for tartrazine, and the LOQs for 13 basic colorants were in the range from 0.52 μg kg⁻¹ (Rhodamine B) to 4.19 μg kg⁻¹ (disperse blue 7); among them the LOQ for 4 triphenylmethane colorants was in the range of 0.77–0.96 μg kg⁻¹ which is better than the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) of 2 μg kg⁻¹ for the sum of malachite green and leucomalachite green. The average recoveries for all analytes at three spiked levels were in the range of 75.4–123% except for Rhodamine B, (120–130%), with a RSD of <11%. The results showed that the content of 8 allowable food colorants and 17 banned synthetic colorants was lower than their LOQ level. This MSPD-HPLC-MS/MS method has the advantages of being rapid, sensitive, accurate, and high-throughput, and can be applied for multiresidue analysis of synthetic colorants in meat products.