Abstract: Water-soluble azo synthetic colorants such as tartrazine,sunset yellow,amaranth,ponceau 4R and allure red,because of their characteristics of being easily soluble in water,acid resistance,heat resistance and oxidation resistance,it is widely used in the food industry. Long term excessive intake of synthetic colorants will cause harm to human health. GB 2760-2014 stipulates that the maximum use of synthetic colorants is 0.5 mg/kg. At present,there are many researches on the extraction and determination methods of synthetic colorants. This paper reviews the methods of extraction and determination of synthetic colorants,compares and analyzes the differences,generality and applicability of various methods. So in this review incorporated valuable information’s which intended as a guideline or idea in choosing an appropriate method for detection of synthetic colorants in food stuffs.