A novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor to detect prohibited colorants in food by graphene/silver nanocomposite

► We design a novel SERS sensor made up of graphene/silver nanocomposite. ► We establish a rapid detection method for prohibited colorants. ► The detection limit of the colorant can be as low as 0.1 μM. ► A mixture of four kinds of prohibited colorants can be easily distinguished by its characteristic peaks.