An update on the sample preparation and analytical methods for synthetic food colorants in food products.

Colorants, especially synthetic colorants, play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetic qualities of food owing to their cost-effectiveness and stability against environmental factors. Ensuring the safe and regulated use of colorants is essential for maintaining consumer trust in food safety. Various preparation and analytical technologies, which are continuously undergoing improvement, are currently used to quantify of synthetic colorants in food products. This paper reviews recent developments in analytical techniques for synthetic food colorants, detection and compares the operational principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each technology. Additionally, it also explores advancements in these technologies, discussing several invaluable tools of analysis, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, electrochemical sensors, digital image analysis, near-infrared spectroscopy, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. This comprehensive overview aims to provide valuable insights into current progress and research in the field of food colorant analysis. [Display omitted] • Eco-friendly methods for extracting synthetic food colorants are gaining attention. • As analytics advance, smartphone-based image analysis is another focus area. • Electrochemical sensors analyze fewer colorants but are simple and easy to use. • Portable analytical devices are suitable for on-site monitoring. • HPLC and LC–MS/MS remain popular for simultaneous colorant analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]