Analysis of Rhodamine B Content in "geplak" Marketed in Yogyakarta City in 2019

Abstract

Rhodamine B is a coloring agent which is prohibited to add in food. Rhodamine B often used to color food product, beverage, and cosmetics. Rhodamine B is a synthetic coloring agent used in the textile and paper industry, this synthetic coloring agent is dangerous when inhaled, affects the eyes and skin, and is swallowed. The purpose of this study was to identify and know the levels of rhodamine B in geplak samples circulating in the city of Yogyakarta. Geplak samples studied amounted to 5 samples taken from souvenir shops in the city of Yogyakarta. The method used to identify rhodamine B in geplak was soaking the samples in ammonia to pull out rhodamine B dyes using wool yarn, followed by identification using thin layer chromatography with the mobile phase of n-butanol: ethyl acetate: ammonia (10: 4: 5). Then it was detected with UV light of 254 nm and 366 nm. The analysis of rhodamine B levels and the maximum wavelength of the sample was carried out using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The results showed that the 5 samples examined by thin layer chromatography or UV-Vis spectrophotometry were not identified as containing rhodamine B.