A method for the determination of ethoxyquin residue in food by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector was developed.MethodsThe homogenized sample was extracted with n-hexane under alkaline conditions, then cleaned by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with n-hexane after adjusting the pH value. The targeted compound was determined by liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector. The chromatographic separation were achieved in Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18(150mm×4.6mm, 5μm) with a gradient elution using methanol-water as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0ml/min, the column temperature was 30℃, and the injection volume was 20μl. The ethoxyquin was detected under FD at λ_ex/λ_em=365nm/425nm.Results The linear range of ethoxyquin was 0.05-10mg/L, and the correlation coefficient was 0.9992. The limit of detection was 7.5μg/kg (S/N=3) and the limit of quantification was 25μg/kg (S/N=10). In different food matrixes, the average recoveries of ethoxyquin under three spiked levels were 80.5%-95.9%, with RSDs (n=8) of 3.1%-11.5%.Conclusion This method was practical, maneuverable and suitable for the determination of ethoxyquin residue in various food.