E131 — Patent Blue V
Why it’s used
A synthetic blue triarylmethane dye used in the EU to color beverages and confectionery; not approved for food use in the US.
Other names
Sulphan Blue, C.I. Food Blue 5, C.I. 42051
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Not listed among FDA-certified or exempt color additives for food; used only in some medical/diagnostic dye applications, not food. Source (2026-07-23)
Authorised EU-wide as E131 within specified food categories and maximum levels per Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; EFSA's 2013 re-evaluation flagged that some population groups may approach or exceed the ADI. Source (2026-07-23)
Regulatory status by region
The FDA has never authorised Patent Blue V as a food color additive. The EU permits it EU-wide within specified food categories and maximum levels — a genuine authorization gap between the two regions.
The EU permits Patent Blue V for a defined set of food categories with numeric limits, while the US has no food-use authorization for the dye at all.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E131.