title: HPLC-MS degradation study of E10 Sunset Yellow FCF in a commercial beverage.
abstract: Experimental evidence has shown that a beverage containing Sunset Yellow FCF (labelled as E110 in the European Union), when exposed to natural conditions of summer temperature and sunlight, losses its colour. To possibly identify the degradation pathway and collect information on the potential toxicity of the uncoloured species formed, different degradation conditions, under both oxidising and reducing environments, were simulated in laboratory. Experiments were carried out under the following conditions: (i) thermally induced degradation, (ii) visible photo induced degradation, (iii) UV-photo induced conditions in oxidising environment (addition of hydrogen peroxide, Fenton reaction) and (iv) UV-photo induced conditions in reducing environment (addition of sulphide and ascorbic acid, addition of ascorbic acid in the absence and in the presence of saccharose). Decolourisation process was observed in oxidant conditions when applying the Fenton reaction but the reaction was too quick to be progressively followed. On the other hand, it was also possible to study the degradation reaction observed in reducing conditions in the presence of ascorbic acid. The HPLC-MS results gave evidence for the cleavage of the double bond and the protonation of the azo groups. The loss of colour is therefore not due to a mineralization process but to the formation of a dimeric form of 5-amino-6-hydroxy-2-naphthalene sulfonate and, likely, of p-amino-benzensulfonate.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università del Piemonte Orientale "Amedeo Avogadro", Spalto Marengo 33, 15100 Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gosetti
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gianotti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polati
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gennaro
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003116:Color; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009584:Nitrogen; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013440:Sulfides; D013472:Sunlight; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D013440:Sulfides; C005842:6-hydroxy-5-((p- sulfophenyl)azo)-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid disodium salt; D009584:Nitrogen; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C033479:sodium sulfide