Is Fast Green the same as Green 3?
Yes. Fast Green FCF corresponds to FD&C Green No. 3.
Artificial dyes
Green 3
Fast Green FCF, printed in the US as Green 3.
Matches personal ingredient preferences based on label evidence; not medical, allergy, or dietary safety advice
What the label is naming
Green 3 is Fast Green FCF. US labels that still use it print Green 3 or FD&C Green No. 3. It is less common than the yellows and Red 40, which is why a number in a long color list is easy to miss. Green vegetables and spinach extract are not aliases.
Where it hides
Canned peas that still use dye, mint candies, and some drink syrups. Many mint products use Yellow 5 plus Blue 1 instead, and those are their own matches.
Names and codes
- Green 3
- Fast Green FCF
- FD&C Green No. 3
- E143
Aisles to check
- Mint candy
- Canned vegetables
- Drink syrups
Label-reading tips
- Fast Green FCF is Green 3.
- A mint color made from Yellow 5 and Blue 1 will flag those dyes, not Green 3.
Check a label for Green 3
Paste an ingredient list. This checker looks only for Green 3. It does not score the rest of the food.
Questions
A mint candy looks green but lists Yellow 5 and Blue 1. What matches?
Yellow 5 and Blue 1, because those are the printed names. Green 3 is not inferred from the mixture.