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.
7,950
Products Found
38.4%
Of All Products
210
Low Risk (0-2)
6,654
High Risk (5+)
Risk Distribution
How products containing Citric Acid break down by total trigger count:
210
2.6%
Low Risk (0-2 triggers)
1,086
13.7%
Moderate (3-4 triggers)
6,654
83.7%
High Risk (5+ triggers)
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 130 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Conagra Brands — Act Ii Movie Theater Butter, 16.5 Oz
Corn, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Diet Lipton Green Tea with Citrus 16.9 Fluid Ounce Pet Bottle
Citric Acid, Tea, Aspartame
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Pepsi Wild Cherry Cola 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Sour Patch Kids Soft Candy Mango Fat Free1x10 Oz
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Califia Farms, Lp — Califia Farms, Unsweetened Black & White Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk
Coffee, Almond, Coconut, Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kellogg Company Us — Kellogg Fruit Pieces Non-licensed Froot Loops 3.1oz
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Foods, Inc. — Hunt's, Chunky Tomato Sauce, Basil, Garlic & Oregano
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Basil, Parsley, Garlic, Oregano
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Rotel Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, 28 Oz
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Coriander/Cilantro
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-van Camp — Lemon-lime + Strawberry Fierce Bold & Intense Thirst Quencher, Lemon-lime + Strawberry
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods Company — Yellow Cling Diced Peaches
Peach, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Dairy Drink
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Fructose, Tapioca, Whey, Corn, Strawberry, Banana, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Nonfat Yogurt & Toppings
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Almond, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Fruit Snacks
Pineapple, Orange, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Enrich Aloe Vera Juice Drink
Cane Sugar, Cranberry, Grape, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Market Pantry — Peppered Beef Jerky
Beef, Cane Sugar, Wheat, Soybean, Yeast (Baker's), Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Market Pantry — Diced Pears
Pear, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Coconut Shrimp & Chicken Breading
Wheat, Coconut, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Onion, Sunflower, Corn, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Rice, Lime, Yeast (Baker's), Sodium Metabisulfite, Capsaicin, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — Premium Juice Blend From Concentrate
Fructose, Corn, Grape, Pineapple, Pear, Apple, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Kellogg Company — Assorted Fruit Flavored Snacks
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Brandy Caramel Swirl Flavored Italian Gelato, Brandy Caramel Swirl
Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Corn, Coconut, Rice, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, Llc — Strawberry Banana Spoonable Smoothies, Strawberry Banana
Strawberry, Banana, Citric Acid, Oat, Coconut, Honey, Canola/Rapeseed, Almond
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kind Inc. — Blueberry Vanilla Cashew Bars, Blueberry Vanilla Cashew
Cashew, Almond, Blueberry, Honey, Rice, Grape, Cane Sugar, Vanilla, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Califia Farms, Lp — Oat Creamer
Oat, Cane Sugar, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kellogg Company Us — Kellogg's Fruit Pieces Disney Doc Mcstuffins .8oz
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Hunts No Salt Added Tomato Sauce, #10 Can, 6/105 Oz., 105 Oz
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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