E140 (chlorophylls and chlorophyllins)

E140 is chlorophylls and chlorophyllins. In the food industry, this additive is used as a dye: it helps to give the product the desired shade, restore color after processing, or make the appearance more stable and recognizable.

What is this additive

By nature, E140 is a green dye of plant origin. It is important to distinguish the technological use of the dye from the nutritional value of the product: the mere presence of a dye does not indicate that the product is beneficial or harmful until the entire composition is understood.

For accurate labeling, not only the number but also the name of the substance matters. Similar E-codes may have close colors but completely different sources, chemical structures, and usage restrictions.

Why it is added

The main task of E140 is to provide a green hue. Dyes are especially often used where the natural color of the raw material is lost during heating, storage, grinding, mixing with other ingredients, or prolonged transportation.

In practice, E140 can be found in products such as beverages, sauces, desserts, confectionery, plant-based positioned products, and decorative recipes. The specific application depends on the legislation of the country, product category, dosage, and technological purpose of the manufacturer.

Nutritional value and metabolism

Dyes are usually added in very small amounts, so they rarely serve as a significant source of calories, proteins, fats, or digestible carbohydrates. For blood sugar and insulin, the product’s recipe is often more important: sugar, flour, starch, syrups, fats, and portion size.

If a product is positioned as dietary, low-carb, or for children, the presence of a dye should still be evaluated along with the other ingredients. A bright color can mask a poor composition but can also occur in a neutral technological dose.

Safety and possible restrictions

E140 is associated with natural plant pigments, but in the product composition, it is still a technological dye, not an equivalent of a portion of greens.

Individual tolerance varies: sensitive individuals may have reactions to specific dyes or to the product as a whole. If itching, rashes, headaches, abdominal discomfort, or unusual reactions in a child occur after a specific meal, it is helpful to correlate the symptoms with the composition and discuss it with a specialist.

How to read the label

On the label, E140 may be indicated as an E number or as a name: chlorophylls and chlorophyllins. It is better to evaluate not the number in isolation but the entire food matrix: frequency of consumption, amount of ultra-processed products, sugar, sweeteners, flavorings, preservatives, and overall diet.