Green S
Function: Food colours
E142 is the European food-additive number for Green S, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. GREEN S is a green synthetic coal tar triarylmethane dye with the molecular formula C27H25N2O7S2Na.
What is E142 used for?
Green S (E142) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Food colours (E-numbers).
Is E142 safe or restricted?
E142 is banned or severely restricted in one or more jurisdictions. Forkin classifies it as “Banned or severely restricted” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E142 vegan or vegetarian?
Green S (E142) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E142?
E142 appears in 323 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Candy & Sweets, Soft Drinks, and Hard Candy.
- Candy & Sweets33
- Soft Drinks31
- Hard Candy20
- Marzipan11
- Soda Water / Club Soda10
- Peas10
- Sparkling Water9
- Lemonade9
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E142 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E142
- What is E142?
- E142 is the E-number for Green S, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. GREEN S is a green synthetic coal tar triarylmethane dye with the molecular formula C27H25N2O7S2Na.
- What is E142 used for?
- Green S (E142) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E142?
- E142 appears in 323 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Candy & Sweets, Soft Drinks, and Hard Candy. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E142 vegan or vegetarian?
- Green S (E142) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E142 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E142 is banned or severely restricted in one or more jurisdictions. Forkin classifies it as ‘Banned or severely restricted’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E142 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.