Background: Nowadays food processing technology to extend life or improve the appearance, composition, texture, taste, color, smell, and nutrition value of the food is brought to the use of food additives. A significant increase in the use of synthetic colors and additives in addition to stimulate appetite and food palatability and improve its appearance and hide flaws food, it may lead to probable dangerous side effects in consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and frequency of unauthorized and synthetic dyes consumption in supplied food of city Nazarabad Township.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the measure of synthetic dye in dried sweets, raw barbecue chicken and barbecue chicken sauce of confectionaries, food shops, and restaurants of the Nazarabad Township was studied. A total of 25 random samples of the existing units based on the highest probability was taken and were transferred to the food laboratory. After extraction probable dye, the measure of the dye were quantified using chromatography. Then, the Food colorings were compared with the national standard.
Results: According to the obtained results, 88% and 12% of the total samples were contained unauthorized synthetic and authorized synthetic dyes, respectively. The amount of 92.58% of the dried sweets samples, 81.18% of the raw barbecue chicken and barbecue chicken sauce samples were used unauthorized synthetic dyes, and 7.14% of dried sweets samples and 18.18% of the raw barbecue chicken and barbecue chicken sauce samples were used authorized synthetic dyes, respectively.
Conclusion: the results show that the frequency use of synthetic dyes might be due to lack of health knowledge and safety of food vendors, low price and easy access of dyes.