Abstract:The potential food photosensitizers that can be applied in photodynamic inactivation（PDI）were mined from food colorants. The ultraviolet-visible absorption and fluorescence spectra of 17 typical food colorants commonly utilized in the food industry were systematically measured in aqueous solution，and the photostability，singlet oxygen generation capabilities，and excited state characteristics of these colorants were systematically evaluated. The results indicated that the 17 food colorants exhibited distinct absorption and fluorescence wavelengths，as well as Stokes shifts.Among the 17 food colorants，lemon yellow，sunset yellow，gardenia yellow，and quinoline yellow demonstrated superior singlet oxygen generation capability compared with the natural photosensitizer curcumin. Moreover，they demonstrated stronger photostability，with the photodegradation rates of 0.33%，0.49%，0.61%，and 17.53%，respectively，after irradiation for 15 min. Additionally，their energy differences between the S1 and T2 states（ΔEstS1-T2）were 0.150，0.631，0.563 eV，and 0.705 eV，respectively，which were lower than that of curcumin. However，their spin-orbit coupling（SOC）values were high，measuring 1.615 704，0.173 494，1.150 174 cm-1，and 0.037 417 cm-1，respectively. In conclusion，the food colorant lemon yellow exhibited the most promising singlet oxygen generation capability and photostability，showcasing significant potential for applications in food PDI.