This poster describes an undergraduate analytical chemistry experiment that uses solid phase extraction to isolate FD&C Red Dye #40 (Red 40) from other colorants found in cranberry flavored beverages.  Red 40 is commonly added to beverages to enhance their color, making them more attractive to consumers.  Although it improves the color of the beverages it does not add flavor.  While the natural colorants found in cranberry juice, anthocyanins, have many health benefits, Red 40 has been linked to many negative side effects such as ADHD and hyperactivity.  This experiment uses solid phase extraction to extract the Red 40 from the beverages then uses colorimetry to quantify the amount of Red 40 present.  It provides students in an introductory analytical laboratory course with experience in solid phase extraction and colorimetry.  The solid phase extraction method that is being presented was shown to give recoveries of 99% with a standard deviation of 2%.

Isolation and quantification of FD&C Red Dye #40 from cranberry flavored beverages

244th National Meeting (2012)

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