Determination of trace Rhodamine B in chili oil by deep eutectic solvent extraction and an ultra high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with a fluorescence detector

Abstract

Rhodamine B was forbidden in food by law because of its carcinogenic properties to humans. However, due to its low cost, it was often used to dope chili oil by some counterfeiters to improve its natural color. However, it was difficult to quantify rhodamine B in chili oil due to its complex substrates and high viscosity. In this study, deep eutectic solvents, comprised of choline chloride and ethylene glycol, were first used as an extraction medium to separate rhodamine B from chili oil.