E143 / Colours

Fast Green FCF

Selected sources checked 8 October 2026 · Scope & sources

Safety in brief

Safe in moderation

Recorded EatMatrix rating, not a new clinical review. The amount, your sensitivities and country rules still matter.

Watch for: Recorded sensitivities: hives; skin reactions.
Our advice: Read the whole food label and consider how often you eat the product. A name or E number does not tell you the amount, and an ingredient rating cannot assess the entire food.

What it is

Fast Green FCF is a synthetic green triarylmethane dye used to color confectionery, baked goods, and some beverages. It is approved for food use in the United States, though it is not authorized as a food colorant in the EU. It is generally considered safe at approved levels, with only rare reports of hypersensitivity reactions.

Also appears on labels as: Fast Green FCF, E143, E 143, E-143, INS 143, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Green 3, Green 3, Food Green 3, Acid Green 3, CI 42053, Colour Index 42053.

Dietary information

Vegan: Yes
Halal: Yes
Gluten-free: Yes
Allergens: Caution

Recorded ingredient information. Check the product label or certification: sources, other ingredients and cross-contact can vary.

Research & body effects

Health notes from our ingredient record

Possible allergic or hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., hives, skin reactions) in sensitive individuals, though rare.
As a synthetic dye, it is subject to ongoing scrutiny by some consumer advocacy groups regarding behavioral effects in children, though major regulators consider it safe at approved levels.

Country rules

Country checks for E143

Permission depends on the market, type of food, amount and conditions. A scientific opinion or an E-number alone does not establish a legal use. These checks are separate from the stored EatMatrix rating.

Compare all eight markets and their sources

Market	What is checked
European Union	No exact code match in the Annex II Part B list (version 2026-08-18, read 2026-10-07). Identity, subform and legal-use review are pending. This does not establish a permission or a ban.
Great Britain	No verified exact register record in this review. Identity and current use rules need checking; missing a record does not establish a ban.
United States	Complete current-use review pending. Any scoped provision in the label guide above applies only to the stated use. FDA explains the applicable food-additive and GRAS framework.
Northern Ireland	Review pending. Check the applicable EU rules and territory arrangements; the GB register alone does not establish this status. FSA guidance is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry.
Canada	Named food-use records located. Health Canada lists the preparations below for specified foods and purposes. This is conditional permission for those uses, not approval of every product or a personal safety verdict. Only the named records and conditions below were located. Exact composition and specifications still need matching. Source tables captured 2026-10-08. List publication dates are shown separately. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a condition of use, not an unlimited amount or a recommended intake. Food and Drug Regulations B.16.003 requires the listed source, purpose, amount and other conditions to match. The official consolidation read was current to 21 September 2026; product specifications and applicable later changes still need checking. Read 7 listed food-use conditions Fast Green FCF Footnote * Health Canada: List of Permitted Food Colours. List published 2025-10-20; item F.1. Food: (a) Apple and (naming the fruit or fruits) jam; Fig marmalade with pectin; (Naming the fruit or fruits) jam with pectin; (Naming the fruit or fruits) jelly with pectin; Liqueur; (Naming the flavour) milk; (Naming the flavour) partly skimmed milk; (Naming the flavour) partly skimmed milk with added milk solids; (Naming the flavour) skim milk; (Naming the flavour) skim milk with added milk solids; Pineapple marmalade with pectin; Rhubarb and (naming the fruit or fruits) jam; Sherbet; Smoked fish Purpose: (a) Food colour Limit and conditions: (a) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm. If used in any combination with allura red, amaranth, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (b) Blend of prepared fish and prepared meat as set out in paragraph 18.1.3(g) of Volume 18 of the Food Compositional Standards Document Purpose: (b) Food colour Limit and conditions: (b) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm. If used in any combination with allura red, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0122 NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (c) Bread; Butter; Fish roe (caviar); Icing sugar; Lobster paste; Pickles and relishes; Tomato catsup Purpose: (c) Food Colour Limit and conditions: (c) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm. If used in any combination with allura red, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (d) Concentrated (naming the fruit) juice, except frozen concentrated orange juice Purpose: (d) Food colour Limit and conditions: (d) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm in the juice as consumed. If used in any combination with allura red, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm in the juice as consumed, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (d.1) Ice cream mix Purpose: (d.1) Food colour Limit and conditions: (d.1) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm in the ice cream. If used in any combination with allura red, amaranth, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm in the ice cream, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (d.2) Ice milk mix Purpose: (d.2) Food colour Limit and conditions: (d.2) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm in the ice milk. If used in any combination with allura red, amaranth, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm in the ice milk, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Food: (e) Unstandardized foods Purpose: (e) Food colour Limit and conditions: (e) If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm. If used in any combination with allura red, brilliant blue FCF, erythrosine, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm, provided that the amount of brilliant blue FCF or fast green FCF, or both, does not exceed 100 ppm. Source modification reference: NOM/ADM-0108 (see the official list). Official list footnote: * This food colour is a synthetic colour as defined in section B.16.001 of the Food and Drug Regulations . For the purposes of section B.16.012 of the Food and Drug Regulations , the synthetic colours identified in the list above are water soluble with the exception of citrus red No. 2. Return to footnote * referrer EatMatrix reading: match the exact preparation and food first. A manufacturing limit is not an acceptable daily intake (ADI). A label without the amount cannot establish exposure, and an unlisted name here does not establish a ban.
Australia	Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry.
New Zealand	Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry.
Japan	Review pending. The relevant list, identity and use standards need an additive-specific check. CAA food-additive lists is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry.

Sources & review status

Check what each source covers: an authority’s conclusion, a research finding and a country’s legal permission answer different questions.

What this guide covers

Original ingredient record: No research links in the original record. Sources added separately to this guide are not included in this count.

This guide brings together our ingredient record and the dated sources shown here. Missing information describes a gap in this guide; it does not mean an ingredient is untested, safe or harmful. This is not a complete review of every study, preparation or current country rule. The amount in a product and how it is used still matter.

How to read the ratings, research and country checks

Agency labels recorded by EatMatrix

These are imported database classifications, not verified current statements from each authority. Use the dated official sources below for their actual scope and conclusions.

Authority	Database label
FDA	Safe in moderation
WHO	Safe in moderation
EFSA	Safe in moderation
FSANZ	Safe in moderation
Japan	Safe in moderation
UK FSA	Safe in moderation
Health Canada	Safe in moderation

Database updated: 2026-07-05. What does an E number mean on a food label?

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What is EatMatrix's recorded rating for E143?

The recorded EatMatrix rating for E143 (Fast Green FCF) is “Safe in moderation”. It is calculated from labels stored in our ingredient database. These labels are not verified current regulator decisions or country permissions. A database update date is not a scientific review date.

Is E143 vegan, halal or gluten-free?

According to our ingredient data for Fast Green FCF — vegan: yes, vegetarian: yes, halal: yes, kosher: yes, gluten-free: yes, dairy-free: yes. Manufacturing sources can vary between products; check the label if it matters to you.

What is E143 and why is it used?

Does E143 contain allergens?

No known allergens are recorded for Fast Green FCF, with a caution: hives skin reactions.

Read the whole label.

Scan a food label with EatMatrix on iPhone to look up its ingredients in the app.

Get EatMatrix for iPhone

Ingredient research, by email

Join the list for food additive research updates. Unsubscribe any time.

This page shows information and classifications recorded in our ingredient database. Current scientific and market-specific verification remains pending as described above. It is general information, not medical advice.