E143 — Fast Green FCF
Why it’s used
A synthetic blue-green triarylmethane dye used in the US in candy, baked goods, and canned peas; banned from food use in the EU and UK.
Other names
FD&C Green No. 3, Green 3, C.I. 42053
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Certified color additive permitted for foods generally at GMP levels under 21 CFR 74.203. Source (2026-07-23)
Not included in the EU-wide positive list of authorised food colors under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II; not permitted for food use in the EU or UK. Source (2026-07-23)
Regulatory status by region
The FDA permits Fast Green FCF for general food use. The EU has not included it in its positive list of authorised food colors, so it cannot legally be used in EU food — a genuine authorization gap running the opposite direction from most other synthetic dyes, which tend to be EU-approved-with-warning-label rather than outright unlisted.
Fast Green FCF was never added to the EU's harmonised list of authorised colors, so it cannot be legally used in EU food, while the FDA permits it for general US food use.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E143.