E142 — Green S
Why it’s used
A synthetic bluish-green dye used in the EU to color mint sauce, canned peas, and confectionery; not approved for food use in the US, Canada, or Japan.
Other names
Acid Green 50, C.I. Food Green 4, C.I. 44090
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Not listed among FDA-certified or exempt color additives for food; Green S has never been approved for US food use. Source (2026-07-23)
Authorised EU-wide as E142 within specified food categories and an ADI of 5 mg/kg bw/day per EFSA's 2010 re-evaluation, which flagged data gaps on long-term safety. Source (2026-07-23)
Regulatory status by region
The FDA has never authorised Green S for food use in the US, Canada, or Japan. The EU permits it EU-wide within specified food categories — a genuine authorization gap.
The EU permits Green S for a limited set of food categories despite EFSA-flagged long-term data gaps, while the US, Canada, and Japan have never authorised it for food at all.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E142.