STUDY ON THE UV-VIS SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF SUDAN III AND SUDAN IV DYES IN DIFFERENT ORGANIC SOLVENTS

Uv/vis spectroscopy is a simple, low cost technique that can be used to identify and quantify adultrants such as azo dyes in foods. In this study, the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectral properties of Sudan III and Sudan IV dyes in non-polar solvent hexane, moderately polar solvent acetonitrile, and highly polar solvent ethanol were investigated using UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The results showed that the absorption peaks of Sudan III dye in hexane, acetonitrile and ethanol were within wavelenth ranges of 254-362 nm, 264-364 nm and 258-348 nm respectively, while the absorption peaks of Sudan IV dye in hexane, acetonitrile and ethanol were within the wavelenth ranges of 256-345nm, 262-367nm and 275- 369nm respectively, with the dyes absorbing maximally within the ultra violent region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This study will be very useful to the food scientists as it will assist in determining the appropriate wavelength for measuring/quantifying sudan lll and sudan IV dyes in food as the trend of azo dye adulteration of food such as palm oil is now rampant and has become one of the major challenges of food safety.