An HPLC method with photodiode array detection was used for the quantification of 11 synthetic dyes in 87 snack food products commonly consumed by children in Hong Kong, China. Dietary exposure to synthetic colours was estimated using food-frequency questionnaire data obtained from 142 primary school children aged 8-9 years in three districts of Hong Kong. Dietary exposure to synthetic colours for an average primary school student was considerably lower than the threshold for acceptable daily intake (ADI) for their ages, except for sunset yellow FCF. Data obtained showed that the average daily intake of sunset yellow FCF (E110) was 51% over the ADI threshold in 9-year-old boys. The higher intakes of sunset yellow FCF were mainly due to the high consumption of soft drinks and desserts such as jellies, which have high concentrations of this synthetic colour additive.
Keywords: dietary consumption; snack foods; synthetic colourings.