Fingerprinting and Quantitative Evaluation of Food Colourants in Confectionery: HPTLC approach.

Introduction: Colours are widely used in confectionary items but product labels typically list only the names or codes of colourants without disclosing their actual quantities. Frequent consumption of coloured confectionery, particularly by children, may increase dietary exposure and highlights the importance of analytical monitoring. In India, synthetic food colours used in confectionery are subject to regulatory limits set up by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Objectives: This study purposed to identified and quantified synthetic food colourants present in few marketed confectionaries using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. Methods: Few marketed confectionaries samples were extracted for sampling of selected colours and subjected for HPTLC analysis using Isopropanol: Water (8:2 v/v) as mobile phase. Fingerprinting was achieved by comparing Rf values and overlay spectra of standards with sample tracks. Plates were scanned at specific λmax values as 491 nm for Carmoisine, 470 nm for Sunset Yellow, 428 nm for Tartrazine, 628 nm for Apple Green. Quantitative evaluation was conducted using calibration curves based on average peak area and %RSD, with regression equations. Results: Colour wise quantification was found as Carmoisine 33.41 mg/kg, Sunset Yellow 11.45 mg/kg and 13.30 mg/kg in two samples, Tartrazine 30.92 mg/kg and 27.93 mg/kg in two samples, Brilliant Blue 22.19 mg/kg, and Apple Green 9.91 mg/kg; packet wise quantification for respective colours was also observed, with all values below the FSSAI limit of 100 mg/kg. Conclusions: HPTLC provided an actual approach for detecting and computing synthetic food colourants in confectionery products. The findings demonstrate the importance of analytical assessment for monitoring colourant exposure and supporting food safety compliance.