This work investigated the photochemical degradation of the dye tartrazine, widely used in food industry, using spectrophotometric methods and liquid chromatography coupled with diode array (HPLC-DAD) and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. Furthermore, through the Ames test, was studied the mutagenicity of the dye and it`s photodegradation by-products. The photolysis studies were conducted under UV and sunlight, with a more pronounced dye degradation achieved under artificial light in a solution of acidic pH. Total discoloration of a 1x10-5 mol L-1 tartrazine solution was obtained after 30 min of exposure to 125 W UV light, demanding an energy dose of 37.8 J cm-2. The results showed the generation of 5 by-products, derived from the ope...