INS 141 is chlorophylls and chlorophyllins, the natural green pigment from spinach, alfalfa, and nettles. It gives the green colour to paan-flavoured candies, herbal toothpastes, mint sweets, and some pista-style ice creams. The copper-chlorophyllin form (141ii) is the more stable variant on Indian packs. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 141 is chlorophylls and chlorophyllins, the natural green pigment from spinach, alfalfa, and nettles. It gives the green colour to paan-flavoured candies, herbal toothpastes, mint sweets, and some pista-style ice creams. The copper-chlorophyllin form (141ii) is the more stable variant on Indian packs.
Brands use it because it is a plant-derived green that gives paan, mint, pista, and herbal products their characteristic shade without using synthetic dyes. The copper-chlorophyllin variant resists fading better than raw chlorophyll, which is why it dominates packaged applications.
INS 141 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Chlorophylls are extracted from edible plants (spinach, alfalfa, nettles). The copper-chlorophyllin variant uses a copper salt to replace the central magnesium of natural chlorophyll. No animal product is used in either manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a colour for specified food categories with category-specific limits.
JECFA: ADI 'not specified' for chlorophylls (E 141i) and group ADI 0-15 mg/kg bw for chlorophyllin copper complexes (E 141ii), most recently maintained at 67th JECFA (2006). 'Not specified' is JECFA's safest classification.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 141 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-30.