The addition of artificial food dyes is allowed in Brazil for different kinds of food, but the concentrations are not informed in the packages, so the objective for this study was to quantify the content of artificial food dye in ready-to-drink beverages. There were analyzed 3 samples in a same batch of 3 fruit flavored beverages in the flavors: grape, orange and acerola. There were also analyzed 2 isotonic drinks, in the flavors: tangerine and strawberry mixed with passion fruit. The samples (25 mL) were frozen in ultra-freezer (-78 oC/24 h) and lyophilized (24 h). The artificial dyes extracted with methanol ammonia 5%. The extracts were analyzed at 481 nm, 426 nm, 507 nm, 519 nm and 630 in spectrophotometer to detect sunset yellow, tartrazine, ponceau 4R, amaranth and brilliant blue, respectively. Analytical standards from The Sensient Colors Latin America, Lerma, Mexico were used. Tests were made in triplicates. The orange flavored beverage presented 4.85 mg.100 mL-1 of tartrazine and 1.04 mg.100 mL-1 of sunset yellow. The grape flavored beverage presented 41.84 mg. 100 mL-1 of amaranth and 1.52 mg. 100 mL-1 of brilliant blue. The acerola flavored beverage presented 3.79 mg.100 mL-1 of sunset yellow, 11.64 mg.100 mL-1 of ponceau 4R and 1.52 mg.100 mL-1 of brilliant blue. The tangerine flavored isotonic drink presented 3.2 mg.100 mL-1 of tartrazine and 3.15 mg. 100 mL-1 of sunset yellow. The strawberry mixed with passion fruit isotonic drink presented 3.8 mg.100 mL-1 of sunset yellow. The Brazilian law allows 10 mg. 100 mL-1 in a product for sunset yellow, brilliant blue and tartrazine, respectively, 0.5 mg.100 mL-1 in a product for amaranth and ponceau 4R. Knowing it, the acerola and grape flavoured beverages presented a higher content of food dye than the allowed by the law.