Chlorophylls
1406-65-1 · Chlorophyllins · CHLOROPHYLLS · CI 75815 (Natural Green 5) · CI Natural Green 3 · CI Natural Green 5 · E 140(i) · E 140(ii) · Magnesium Chlorophyll · Magnesium Phaeo phytin · Potassium Chloro phyllin · Sodium Chlorophyllin · tri-sodium chlorophyllin · E140 · 140 · Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins · Chlorofilai ir chlorofilinai · Chlorofile i chlorofiliny · Chlorofylen en chlorofylinen · Chlorofyly a chlorofyliny · Chlorophyll og chlorophylliner · Chlorophylle und Chlorophylline · Chlorophylles et chlorophyllines · Chlorophylls and chlorophyllins · Clorofilas e clorofilinas · Clorofilas y clorofilinas · Clorofile și clorofiline · Clorofille e clorofilline · Hlorofili un hlorofilīni · Klorofili i klorofilini · klorofili in klorofilini · Klorofilli u Klorofillini · Klorofillok és klorofillinek · Klorofyller, klorofylliner · Klorofyllit ja klorofylliinit · Klorofüllid ja klorofülliinid · Χλωροφύλλες και χλωροφυλλίνες · Хлорофили и хлорофилиниE number E140INS 140CAS 1406-65-1
Listed as a colour by Canada, Codex and the EU.
Listed as colours (CA, EU, Codex)
- Canada: Food colour — Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Colours (List 3)
- European Union: Colours — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II, Part B, 1. Colours (consolidated text 02008R1333-20260818)
- Codex Alimentarius: Colour — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 140
Chlorophylls are the green pigments of plants, extracted for use as a food colour in confectionery, drinks, ice cream and sauces. They fade in acid and heat, which is why the copper complexes are often used instead.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | Permitted, with conditions | 47 food categories no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice) Show every food category
| Food Standards Code, Schedule 15, S15—5and 46 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-17 |
| Canada | Permitted | no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice) 5 permitted uses Show every permitted use
| Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Colours (List 3)and 4 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-17 |
| European Union | Permitted, with conditions | 45 food categories Show every food category
| Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 44 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Great Britain | Permitted, with conditions | 51 food categories Show every food category
| Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 50 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | Permitted, with conditions | Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 1. …Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 1. 일반식품첨가물 (general food additives), 클로로필 (“Chlorophyll”, the English the Code prints beside it). Main use (주용도) of 클로로필: 착색료. Standard for use (사용기준) of 클로로필: (1) [must not be used in the foods listed] “클로로필은 아래의 식품에 사용하여서는 아니 된다. 1. 천연식품〔식육류, 어패류, 과일류, 채소류, 해조류, 콩류 등 및 그 단순가공품(탈피, 절단 등)〕 2. 다류 3. 커피 4. 고춧가루, 실고추 5. 김치류 6. 고추장, 조미고추장 7. 식초” The Korean is the standard as published. There is no official English translation of the current Code (the English version on MFDS’s website is the 2020 edition and has no legal effect); the English in square brackets is this site’s description of what each sentence does, not a translation of the foods or the levels. Compositional specifications (Part IV) are not imported, nor are the general standards in Part II, which apply to every additive. | Standards and Specifications for Food Additives (식품첨가물의 기준 및 규격), MFDS Notification, Part III (Standards for use, by item)retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Permitted, with conditions | 7 food categories highest permitted level 20 mg/kg Show every food category and its notes
| CXS 192-1995 Table Three, INS 140and 7 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07 |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Australia and New Zealand | — | 47 GMP |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | — | 5 GMP |
| European Union | — | 45 quantum satis |
| Great Britain | — | 3 several limits, 48 quantum satis |
| South Korea | — | 1 no quantity stated |
| Codex Alimentarius | 20 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit, 7 GMP |
What FDA’s inventory records
This page holds no listing for Chlorophylls in the parts of 21 CFR this site reads. FDA’s Substances Added to Food inventory does carry it, as CHLOROPHYLL, pointing at no regulation at all.
The inventory is an information resource: a row means FDA holds information about the substance’s use in food, not that the substance is listed for that use. It is shown apart from the permissions above and is not counted as a US permission anywhere on this site.
What it is made from
Extracted with solvents from edible plant material such as grass, alfalfa or nettle. The extract carries related pigments and plant waxes alongside the chlorophylls themselves.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 1406-65-1
The two specifications, compared
The European Union sets identity and purity by regulation; JECFA publishes its own through FAO, advisory until a country adopts it. Both documents are below in full. These are the parameters each puts a number on.
| Parameter | European Union | JECFA |
|---|---|---|
| Assay | no less than 10 % | no less than 10 % |
| Lead | no more than 5 mg/kg | no more than 5 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | no more than 3 mg/kg | no more than 3 mg/kg |
| Mercury | no more than 1 mg/kg | — |
| Cadmium | no more than 1 mg/kg | — |
The two documents state the same figures for every parameter compared here.
How the EU defines it
The legal specification an additive must meet to be sold as this E number in the EU — what it is, how it may be made, and the purity it must reach. From Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
E 140(i) Chlorophylls
Chlorophylls are obtained by solvent extraction of strains of edible plant material, grass, lucerne and nettle. During the subsequent removal of solvent, the naturally present coordinated magnesium may be wholly or partly removed from the chlorophylls to give the corresponding phaeophytins. The principal colouring matters are the phaeophytins and magnesium chlorophylls. The extracted product, from which the solvent has been removed, contains other pigments such as carotenoids as well as oils, fats and waxes derived from the source material. Only the following solvents may be used for the extraction: acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, dichloromethane, carbon dioxide, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol and hexane.
Synonyms: CI Natural Green 3; Magnesium Chlorophyll; Magnesium Phaeophytin
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Colour Index No
- 75810
- Einecs
- Chlorophylls: 215-800-7, chlorophyll a: 207-536-6, Chlorophyll b: 208-272-4
- Chemical name
- The major colouring principles are: Phytyl (13²R,17S,18S)-3-(8-ethyl-13²-methoxycarbonyl-2,7,12,18-tetramethyl-13′-oxo-3-vinyl-13¹-13²-17,18-tetrahydrocyclopenta [at]-porphyrin-17-yl)propionate, (Phaeophytin a), or as the magnesium complex (Chlorophyll a) Phytyl (13²R,17S,18S)-3-(8-ethyl-7-formyl-13²-methoxycarbonyl-2,12,18-trimethyl-13′-oxo-3-vinyl-13¹-13²-17,18-tetrahydrocyclopenta[at]-porphyrin-17-yl)propionate, (Pheophytin b), or as the magnesium complex (Chlorophyll b)
- Chemical formula
- Chlorophyll a (magnesium complex): C₅₅H₇₂MgN₄O₅ Chlorophyll a: C₅₅H₇₄N₄O₅ Chlorophyll b (magnesium complex): C₅₅H₇₀MgN₄O₆ Chlorophyll b: C₅₅H₇₂N₄O₆
- Molecular weight
- Chlorophyll a (magnesium complex): 893,51 Chlorophyll a: 871,22 Chlorophyll b (magnesium complex): 907,49 Chlorophyll b: 885,20
- Assay
- Content of total combined Chlorophylls and their magnesium complexes is not less than 10 % [image] 700 at ca. 409 nm in chloroform
- Description
- Waxy solid ranging in colour from olive green to dark green depending on the content of coordinated magnesium
Identification
- Spectrometry
- Maximum in chloroform at ca. 409 nm
Purity criteria
- Solvent residues
- Acetone [image] | Not more than 50 mg/kg, singly or in combination Methyl Ethyl ketone Methanol Ethanol Propan-2-ol Hexane
- Dichloromethane:
- Not more than 10 mg/kg
- Arsenic
- Not more than 3 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 5 mg/kg
- Mercury
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
- Cadmium
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
E 140(ii) Chlorophyllins
The alkali salts of chlorophyllins are obtained by the saponification of a solvent extract of strains of edible plant material, grass, lucerne and nettle. The saponification removes the methyl and phytol ester groups and may partially cleave the cyclopentenyl ring. The acid groups are neutralised to form the salts of potassium and/or sodium. Only the following solvents may be used for the extraction: acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, dichloromethane, carbon dioxide, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol and hexane.
Synonyms: CI Natural Green 5; Sodium Chlorophyllin; Potassium Chlorophyllin
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Colour Index No
- 75815
- Einecs
- 287-483-3
- Chemical name
- The major colouring principles in their acid forms are: — 3-(10-carboxylato-4-ethyl-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-9-oxo-2-vinylphorbin-7-yl)propionate (chlorophyllin a) — and — 3-(10-carboxylato-4-ethyl-3-formyl-1,5,8-trimethyl-9-oxo-2-vinylphorbin-7-yl)propionate (chlorophyllin b) Depending on the degree of hydrolysis the cyclopentenyl ring may be cleaved with the resultant production of a third carboxyl function. Magnesium complexes may also be present.
- Chemical formula
- Chlorophyllin a (acid form): C₃₄H₃₄N₄O₅ Chlorophyllin b (acid form): C₃₄H₃₂N₄O₆
- Molecular weight
- Chlorophyllin a: 578,68 Chlorophyllin b: 592,66 Each may be increased by 18 daltons if the cyclopentenyl ring is cleaved.
- Assay
- Content of total chlorophyllins is not less than 95 % of the sample dried at ca. 100 °C for 1 hour. [image] 700 at ca. 405 nm in aqueous solution at pH 9 [image] 140 at ca. 653 nm in aqueous solution at pH 9
- Description
- Dark green to blue/black powder
Identification
- Spectrometry
- Maximum in aqueous phosphate buffer at pH 9 at ca. 405 nm and at ca. 653 nm
Purity criteria
- Solvent residues
- Acetone [image] | Not more than 50 mg/kg, singly or in combination Methyl ethyl ketone Methanol Ethanol Propan-2-ol Hexane
- Dichloromethane:
- not more than 10 mg/kg
- Arsenic
- Not more than 3 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 10 mg/kg
- Mercury
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
- Cadmium
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
How JECFA defines it
The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.
INS 140 Chlorophylls
Obtained by solvent extraction of grass, lucerne, nettle and other plant material; during the subsequent removal of solvent, the naturally present co-ordinated magnesium may be wholly or partly removed from the chlorophylls to give the corresponding phaeophytins; the principal colouring matters are the phaeophytins and magnesium chlorophylls; the extracted product, from which the solvent has been removed, contains other pigments such as carotenoids as well as oils, fats and waxes derived from the source material. Only the following solvents may be used for the extraction: acetone, dichloromethane, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol and hexane.
Synonyms: Magnesium chlorophyll, magnesium phaeophytin, CI Natural Green 3; C.I. (1975) No. 75810; INS No. 140 CI (1975) No. 75810; CI Natural Green 3; Magnesium chlorophyll; Magnesium phaeophytin
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- Prepared at the 31st JECFA (1987), published in FNP 38 (1988) and in FNP 52 (1992). Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 59th JECFA (2002). An ADI 'not limited' was established at the 13th JECFA (1969)
- Chemical names
- The major colouring principles are: Phytyl (13 2 R,17S,18S)-3-(8-ethyl-13 2 -methoxycarbonyl-2,7,12,18-tetramethyl-13'-oxo-3-vinyl-13 1 -13 2 -17,18-tetrahydrocyclopenta [at]-prophylrin-17-yl)propionate, (Pheophytin a), or as the magnesium complex (Chlorophyll a). Phytyl (13 2 R,17S,18S)-3-(8-ethyl-7-formyl-13 2 -methoxycarbonyl-2,12,18-trimethyl-13'-oxo-3-vinyl-13 1 -13 2 -17,18-tetrahydro-cyclopenta [at]-prophylrin-17-yl)propionate, (Pheophytin b), or as the magnesium complex (Chlorophyll b).
- C.A.S. number
- Phaeophytin a, Magnesium complex: 479-61-8 Phaeophytin b, Magnesium complex: 519-62-0
- Chemical formula
- Phaeophytin a Magnesium complex (Chlorophyll a): C 55 H 72 MgN 4 0 5 Phaeophytin a: C 55 H 74 N 4 0 5 Phaeophytin b Magnesium complex (Chlorophyll b): C 55 H 70 MgN 4 0 6 Phaeophytin b: C55H72N406
- Structural formula
- where X = CH 3 for the "a" series X = CHO for the "b" series Loss of Mg converts chlorophyll into the corresponding phaeophytin.
- Formula weight
- Phaeophytin a magnesium complex (Chlorophyll a) 893.51 Phaeophytin a 871.22 Phaeophytin b magnesium complex (Chlorophyll b) 907.49 Phaeophytin b 885.20
- Assay
- Content of total combined phaeophytins and their magnesium complexes is not less than 10%.
- DESCRIPTION
- Waxy solid ranging in colour from olive green to dark green depending on the content of co-ordinated magnesium.
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Colour
- METHOD OF ASSAY
- Accurately weigh about 100 mg of the sample and dissolve in diethyl ether, making the volume to 100 ml. Dilute 2 ml of this solution to 25 ml with diethyl ether. The concentration of the sample should not give an absorbance at 660.4 nm that is in excess of the working range for Absorbance measurements, i.e., not in excess of 0.7. Measure the absorbances of the solution in a 1 cm cell against a diethyl ether blank at 660.4 nm, 642.0 nm, 667.2 nm and 654.4 nm. (These being the absorbance maxima in diethyl ether for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, phaeophytin a, and phaeophytin b, respectively). In addition measure at 649.8 nm and 628.2 nm. To the remaining diluted solution add one crystal of oxalic acid and after dissolution and mixing, remeasure the absorbances at the same wavelengths. "delta A" is the difference between the absorbances between the absorbance at the respective wavelengths, before and after addition of oxalic acid. Calculate the concentration of the individual compounds in micromoles per litre from the following equations: Chlorophyll a = 17.7 delta A (660.4 nm) + 7.15 delta A (642.0 nm) Chlorophyll b = 19.4 delta A (642.0 nm) - 2.92 delta A (660.4 nm) Phaeophytin a = -4.89 A (649.8 nm) + 0.0549 A (628.2 nm) +18.7 A (667.2 nm) + 0.0575 A (654.4 nm) - chlorophyll a Phaeophytin b = -71.0 A (649.8 nm) + 2.51 A (628.2 nm) - 13.5 A (667.2 nm) + 84.3 A (654.4 nm) - chlorophyll b Convert the figures in micro moles per litre to percentages using the following equations:
Identification
- Solubility (Vol. 4)
- Insoluble in water; soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether, chloroalkanes, hydrocarbons and fixed oils
- Thin-layer chromatography
- Apply a 1 in 20 solution of the sample in chloroform as a band of the length of 2 cm to a Silica 60 TLC plate. After drying, develop the plate by a mixture of 50% hexane, 45% chloroform and 5% ethanol (General purpose reagent grade chloroform is supplied with 2% of added ethanol as a stabilizer. The 5% ethanol in the solvent mixture is in addition to this), until the solvent ascends to a point 15 cm above the initial spots. Allow the solvent to evaporate, then visually examine the separated spots and identify the components of interests by their R f values and colours. Approximate R f values and colour of the spots are as follows: Phaeophytin a: 0.77, grey/brown Phaeophytin b: 0.75, yellow/brown Chlorophyll a: 0.50, blue/green Chlorophyll b: 0.63, yellow/green In addition spots may be visible for ß-carotene at R f 0.81 and xanthophyll at R f 0.47 and 0.23.
Purity criteria
- Residual solvents (Vol. 4)
- Acetone, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol, hexane: Not more than 50 mg/kg, singly or in combination Dichloromethane: Not more than 10 mg/kg Determine by gas chromatographically using either the method of entrainment distillation ( Determination of Residual Solvents ) or headspace analysis ( Limit Test for Solvent Residues ).
- Arsenic (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 3 mg/kg (Method II)
- Lead (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 5 mg/kg Determine using an atomic absorption technique appropriate to the specified level. The selection of sample size and method of sample preparation may be based on the principles of the method described in Volume 4, “Instrumental Methods.”
Every name it appears under
38 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E140
INS number
- 140
CAS registry number
- 1406-65-1
As it appears in regulation
- Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins
Other names
- Chlorophyllins
- CHLOROPHYLLS
- CI 75815 (Natural Green 5)
- CI Natural Green 3
- CI Natural Green 5
- E 140(i)
- E 140(ii)
- Magnesium Chlorophyll
- Magnesium Phaeo phytin
- Potassium Chloro phyllin
- Sodium Chlorophyllin
- tri-sodium chlorophyllin
The EU re-evaluation programme
Every additive authorised in the EU before 20 January 2009 was put back through EFSA by Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010, and this one is named in it. What the Regulation required is below; whether the opinion has since been published is not something this site records.
- To be evaluated by 31 December 2015. Named in Annex II, Part I, point 3 as “Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins: (i) Chlorophylls (ii) Chlorophyllins”, among the additives given priority within its class.
Hazard reference values
| Type | Value | Population | Assessed by | Opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI | not limited | — | JECFA | 1969 |
Evidence and how bodies read it
What assessing bodies concluded
Each conclusion is paraphrased in the body's own framing, from the published opinion linked beneath it. Where bodies differ, both stand; this site does not adjudicate between them or add a view of its own.
EFSA 2015
The ANS Panel considered the database for chlorophylls (E 140(i)) inadequate to set an ADI, and recommended updating the specifications, noting that most of the extract is unidentified and may come from non-food plants such as grass, lucerne and nettle. Because exposure from additive use is lower than from the regular diet, it concluded that chlorophylls are not of safety concern at reported use levels.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is E 140?
- E 140 is Chlorophylls. Chlorophylls are the green pigments of plants, extracted for use as a food colour in confectionery, drinks, ice cream and sauces. They fade in acid and heat, which is why the copper complexes are often used instead.
- What is Chlorophylls used for in food?
- It is listed as a colour — the role Canada, Codex and the EU assign it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Where is Chlorophylls permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the EU, Great Britain, South Korea and the Codex standard permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is Chlorophylls vegan?
- Yes. Chlorophylls is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- anz retrieved 2026-10-17
- ca retrieved 2026-10-17
- eu retrieved 2026-10-18
- gb retrieved 2026-10-18
- kr retrieved 2026-10-18
- gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
- euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable: a JSON record of this additive is given on request —how to ask for access.
Follow changes to Chlorophylls:Atom feed — regulatory events, and any change the weekly refresh detects in its provisions.