Citric Acid in Grocery Products
Citric Acid is an MRT 176 panel substance found in 7,950 of the 20,682 products in our database. Here's every product we've analyzed that contains it.
Risk Distribution
How products containing Citric Acid break down by total trigger count:
Citric acid is one of 27 chemical additives tested on the MRT 176 panel, and it is by far the most prevalent. We found it in 38% of all grocery products in our database — that’s nearly 8,000 items.
While citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits, the citric acid used in food manufacturing is almost exclusively produced through Aspergillus niger fermentation of corn sugar. This means manufactured citric acid may trigger reactions in people sensitive to corn as well as those sensitive to citric acid itself.
Citric acid is used as a preservative, pH adjuster, and flavor enhancer. It appears in beverages, canned goods, condiments, snacks, and even some fresh-cut produce. If citric acid is on your Red list, finding packaged food without it is one of the biggest challenges of the LEAP protocol.
Related Reading
- What Does “Natural Flavors” Actually Mean? — Citric acid is often hidden inside “natural flavors”
- Products with the fewest MRT triggers overall
All Products Containing Citric Acid — Page 103 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
The Kellogg Company — Fruit Flavored Snacks, Fruit
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Smucker's — Jam, Blackberry
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Homegrown Organic Cheesy Ravioli
Wheat, Tomato, Rice, Cane Sugar, Cow's Milk, Mustard, Corn, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid, Paprika, Black Pepper
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Lipton Half and Half Iced Tea Lemonade 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Lemon, Tea, Glycerin/Glycerol, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Izze Esque Watermelon 12oz Lnk Gl
Grape, Apple, Watermelon, Citric Acid, Carrot
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Sour Patch Kids Soft Candy Kids Fat Free12x4 Oz
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Philadelphia Cream Cheese-soft Spring Onion and Black Pepper Light
Cow's Milk, Onion, Carrageenan, Black Pepper, Fructose, Garlic, Citric Acid, Mustard
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lipton — Recipe Soup & Dip Mix
Onion, Garlic, MSG, Cow's Milk, Whey, Parsley, Carrageenan, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Lcing Orange
Cane Sugar, Soybean, Corn, FD&C Yellow #6, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Unilever Bestfoods France — Dijon Mustard with Horseradish
Mustard, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kind Inc. — Blueberry Pecan Bar
Almond, Pecan, Cashew, Grape, Blueberry, Honey, Rice, Cane Sugar, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Sierra Mist Lemon Lime and Cranberry Splash Caffeine Free Soda 2 Liter Plastic Bottle-ia
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Icing Blue
Cane Sugar, Soybean, Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — MTN DEW, GAME FUEL, MANGO HEAT
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Aloe Vera Juice Drink
Cane Sugar, Mango, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — Cedar's, Hommus, Pineapple Jalapeno
Pineapple, Chili Pepper, Sesame, Sunflower, Garlic, Citric Acid, Cumin
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Company — Yogurt with Strawberries and Ice Cream
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Whey, Corn, Citric Acid, Radish, Apple
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Mild Pineapple Salsa, Mild Pineapple
Tomato, Pineapple, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper, Onion, Cane Sugar
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo Inc. Brand Owner — Quaker Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon Flavor 1.51 Oz
Oat, Cane Sugar, Apple, Sodium Metabisulfite, Cinnamon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-van Camp — Blackberry Energy Gel, Blackberry
Corn, Rice, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Act Ii Butter Lovers, 16.5 Oz
Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Cane Sugar, Corn, Cocoa, Citric Acid, Cow's Milk
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Bugles Hot & Spicy Crispy Corn Snack
Corn, Coconut, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Onion, Yeast (Baker's), Paprika, Citric Acid, Tomato
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.m. Smucker Company — Dickinson 10 Ounce Lemon Curd
Cane Sugar, Egg White, Egg Yolk, Cow's Milk, Lemon, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Gold Peak Raspberry Tea Bottles, 16.9 Fl Oz, 6 Pack
Tea, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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