Patent Blue V
Function: Artificial Color
E131 is the European food-additive number for Patent Blue V, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. PATENT BLUE V is a dark bluish synthetic triphenylmethane dye used as a food coloring.
What is E131 used for?
Patent Blue V (E131) 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 E131 safe or restricted?
E131 is banned or severely restricted in one or more jurisdictions. Forkin classifies it as “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 E131 vegan or vegetarian?
Patent Blue V (E131) 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 E131?
E131 appears in 1,101 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in gummy candy, flavored syrups and marshmallow.
- Gummy Candy115
- Flavored Syrups79
- Marshmallow52
- Food Coloring / Decorations40
- Hard Candy39
- Chocolate Candy35
- Sour Candy30
- Chocolate Truffles / Pralines24
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E131 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 E131
- What is E131?
- E131 is the E-number for Patent Blue V, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. PATENT BLUE V is a dark bluish synthetic triphenylmethane dye used as a food coloring.
- What is E131 used for?
- Patent Blue V (E131) 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 E131?
- E131 appears in 1,101 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in gummy candy, flavored syrups and marshmallow. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E131 vegan or vegetarian?
- Patent Blue V (E131) 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 E131 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E131 is banned or severely restricted in one or more jurisdictions. Forkin classifies it as "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 E131 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.