also: Chlorophyllins · E140(i) chlorophylls · E140(ii) chlorophyllins · Natural Green 3
The green pigment extracted from plants, used in food as a natural colour. One of the two sub-types has not been fully assessed for safety by EU regulators.
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Sugar, Pistachio Nut (30%), Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Skimmed Cows' Milk Powder, Whey Powder (Cows' Milk), Emulsifier: Lecithins; Colour: Copper Complexes of Chlorophyll; Salt, Flavouring.
For E140(ii) chlorophyllins specifically, the European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2015 that it was not possible to assess safety, because there are no absorption, distribution, metabolism or toxicity data for the form people actually consume.
Why it’s worth knowing. For E140(ii) chlorophyllins specifically, the European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2015 that it was not possible to assess safety, because there are no absorption, distribution, metabolism or toxicity data for the form people actually consume. The additive remains permitted despite this unresolved data gap.
Chlorophylls are the green pigments that give plants and algae their colour and drive photosynthesis. E140 covers two related forms: E140(i) chlorophylls, extracted directly from plant material such as alfalfa, grass and nettles, and E140(ii) chlorophyllins, a semi-synthetic water-soluble form made by chemically modifying the extracted chlorophyll. Both contain a porphyrin ring structure with a central magnesium ion.
Added to food to give or restore a green colour. The natural pigment is unstable and loses colour when heated or exposed to acid, which is why processing strips the green from canned vegetables. As a food additive it is used at the lowest level needed to achieve the desired colour, described in law as quantum satis.
Canned and preserved green vegetables such as peas, green beans and artichokes; pickled vegetables; mint-flavoured confectionery and chewing gum; green-coloured liqueurs and soft drinks; ice cream, yogurts and dairy desserts with a green colour; sauces, dressings and herb pastes; some baked goods and cake decorations; Sage Derby cheese. On a label it appears as E140, colour (E140), chlorophylls, or chlorophyllins.
When EFSA reviewed all chlorophyll-based food additives in 2015, it reached sharply different conclusions for the two sub-types. For E140(i) chlorophylls it noted data limitations but considered exposure low enough to be acceptable. For E140(ii) chlorophyllins it went further, concluding that a safety assessment was not possible at all, because there are no data on how the compound is absorbed, distributed, broken down or excreted in the human body, and because chlorophyllins are not a natural dietary constituent or a known human metabolite. The European Commission issued a follow-up call for data in 2017, but no new EFSA opinion on E140(ii) has been published as of mid-2026.
EFSA concluded that it was not possible to assess the safety of chlorophyllins (E140(ii)) as food additives, citing the complete absence of ADME and toxicity data and the fact that chlorophyllins are neither natural dietary constituents nor human metabolites of chlorophylls.
For E140(i) chlorophylls, EFSA found the toxicological database inadequate for a risk assessment; no numerical ADI was established. Up to 90% of the extract is unidentified, and the extraction source materials (grass, lucerne, nettle) are not conventional human foods.
Because E140(i) is extracted from crops such as grass and alfalfa, EFSA flagged that pesticide residues, mycotoxins and compounds with biological activity including phytoestrogens, phytotoxins and allergens may carry through into the final additive. The specifications do not currently require testing for most of these, and EFSA called for data on their levels. This does not establish a proven harm from typical food exposures but it is an unresolved gap in the regulatory picture.
EFSA noted that data on pesticides, mycotoxins and other biologically active components including phytoestrogens, phytotoxins and allergens should be included in the E140(i) specification and kept as low as possible.
Chlorophyllin (the sodium-magnesium form used in research, related to E140(ii)) has been studied for its ability to bind to dietary carcinogens and reduce their absorption. A randomised trial in Qidong, China, where residents face high aflatoxin exposure from contaminated grain, found that taking chlorophyllin tablets reduced measurable aflatoxin-DNA damage markers in urine by about 55%. This is a specific chemopreventive context, not a general property of E140 as used in food colouring doses.
In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 180 adults in Qidong, China, 100mg chlorophyllin three times daily for four months reduced urinary aflatoxin-DNA adducts by approximately 55% compared with placebo.
Chlorophyllin showed 90-100% inhibition of the mutagenic activity of complex mixtures including fried meat extracts and cigarette smoke condensate in laboratory mutagenicity assays.
People with grass pollen allergies or known sensitivity to nettles or alfalfa should note that E140(i) is extracted from these plant sources. EFSA flagged that allergens from the source material may carry through into the extract, though the specifications do not currently require testing for them. Look for E140, chlorophylls, or chlorophyllins on the ingredients list.
E140(i) is one of the more straightforward natural food colours in terms of source: it is simply the green pigment extracted from plants, and the amount added via food colouring is lower than the amount already present in a typical diet of green vegetables. The regulatory picture for E140(i) is not alarming, though the toxicological database is described as inadequate for a formal risk assessment. The situation for E140(ii) chlorophyllins is more unusual: EFSA concluded in 2015 that it could not complete a safety assessment because the data simply do not exist, and the additive remains in use on that unresolved basis. A decade on, the data gap has not been publicly closed. That is an honest description of where the science sits.
No. Both E140(i) chlorophylls and E140(ii) chlorophyllins are approved food additives in the UK under retained EU law. However, EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation concluded it was not possible to fully assess the safety of E140(ii) due to absent toxicological data, and no follow-up opinion has been published.
Chlorophyllins (E140(ii)) are a semi-synthetic form of the pigment that does not occur naturally in the human diet and is not produced when the body breaks down ordinary chlorophyll. EFSA found there are no published studies on how this compound is absorbed, distributed, metabolised or excreted in humans, making a risk assessment impossible. The additive remains permitted under a 2017 call for new data, but no new EFSA opinion has followed.
It is most commonly found in confectionery with a green colour (mint sweets, chewing gum), canned and pickled green vegetables, green liqueurs and soft drinks, ice cream and dairy desserts, and some cake decorations. It appears on the label as E140, chlorophylls, or chlorophyllins.
Yes. Both sub-types are derived entirely from plant material. E140(i) is extracted directly from plants such as alfalfa, grass and nettles. E140(ii) is a chemically modified form of that plant extract. No animal-derived ingredients are involved in either.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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