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 118 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Old El Paso Hot and Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix
Chili Pepper, Corn, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Citric Acid, Onion, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Sunflower, Yeast (Baker's)
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Tazo, Inc. — Tazo Organic Iced Black Tea 13.8 Fluid Ounce Glass Bottle
Tea, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Diet Pepsi Cola 12 Fluid Ounce Aluminum Can
Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Diet Coke Can, 16 Fl Oz
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Caffeine Free Barqs Root Beer Cans, 7.5 Fl Oz, 6 Pack
Corn, Fructose, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dairylea Processed Cheese-spread Regular
Cow's Milk, Whey, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Yoplait Go-Gurt Kids Gluten Free Berry and Strawberry Yogurt Tubes 16 Count
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Whey, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — RED DAWN SUPER SODA
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Garlic and Herb Light 125 Gr
Cow's Milk, Garlic, Carrageenan, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Trader Joe's — Black Beans
Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid, Grape
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Mccormick, Zesty Garlic Shrimp Taco Seasoning Mix
Garlic, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Black Pepper, Oregano, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Lime
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — HOT DARK CHOCOLATE
Corn, Fructose, Cow's Milk, Cocoa, Coumarin/Vanillin, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Terrafina Llc — Peddler's Pantry, Sour Gummy Worms
Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Turmeric, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Yoplait USA — LEMON TART CREAM DESSERT, LEMON TART
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. — Zero Calorie Cola Beverage Mix
Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Guerrero Tortilleria — CORN TOSTADAS WITH TAJIN SEASONING, TAJIN SEASONING
Corn, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Lime, Soybean, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Cheetos Simply Puffs White Cheddar Cheese 8 Ounce Plastic Bag
Corn, Sunflower, Cow's Milk, Whey, Citric Acid, Yeast (Baker's)
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle USA Inc. — Juice Blend
Apple, Pear, Grape, Strawberry, Banana, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Yoplait USA — Fat Free Light Yogurt
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Chobani, Inc. — BLACK CHERRY FLAVOR ZERO SUGAR YOGURT-CULTURED ULTRA-FILTERED NONFAT MILK, BLACK CHERRY
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Strawberry, Tapioca, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — MILD CHILE LIME CASHEWS, CHILE LIME
Cashew, Canola/Rapeseed, Lime, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
MINUTE MAID BLUE RASPBERRY BOTTLE, 20 FL OZ
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Good Thins Crackers Made with Brown Rice Sea Salt and Black Pepper 1x0.800 Oz
Rice, Potato, Corn, Safflower, Cane Sugar, Black Pepper, Sunflower, Citric Acid, Soybean, Sesame
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — SEASONED BLACK BEANS
Onion, Garlic, Tomato, Soybean, Citric Acid, Solanine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — FAJITA SEASONING MIX
Corn, Chili Pepper, Cane Sugar, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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