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 135 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Nonfat Yogurt
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Pineapple, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — RED CREME SODA, RED CREME
Fructose, Corn, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Unilever Bestfoods France — Maille, Rich Country Dijon Mustard Blend
Sunflower, Canola/Rapeseed, Mustard, Grape, Potato, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Turmeric
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Juice Drink
Cane Sugar, Mango, Pineapple, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Hormel, Always Tender, Pork Sausage, Hot Spice
Pork, Corn, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — Grape Cranberry Juice Drink From Concentrate, Cran-grape
Grape, Cane Sugar, Beet, Cranberry, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Rotel Extra Hot Diced Tomatoes, 10 Oz
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Coriander/Cilantro
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Tgi Fridays Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Potato, Onion, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Sunflower, Wheat, Yeast (Baker's), Sodium Metabisulfite, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Prego Sauce Classic
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Wheat, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — FLAVORED JUICE COCKTAIL, CRANBERRY STRAWBERRY
Corn, Fructose, Cranberry, Strawberry, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Fruit Naturals Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup
Orange, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — Lemonade
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Pineapple, Mango and Guava Juice
Pineapple, Cane Sugar, Mango, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Califia Farms, Lp — Black & White Cold Brew Coffee
Coffee, Almond, Coconut, Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — 365 Everyday Value, Salsa Thick & Chunky
Tomato, Onion, Chili Pepper, Corn, Coriander/Cilantro, Cumin, Citric Acid, Garlic, Celery, Lime
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Smoothie
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Banana, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Nonfat Creamy Yogurt
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Carrot, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Raft — Botanical Cocktail + Soda, Syrup
Cane Sugar, Rosemary, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Starbucks, Flavored Syrup, Hazelnut
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Nestle Usa-frozen Food Division — Apple, Cinnamon & Almond Oatmeal
Oat, Cow's Milk, Apple, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar, Almond, Corn, Honey, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Wheat
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, Llc — Tropical Fruit in 100% Fruit Juice
Pineapple, Grape, Papaya, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Clif Bar and Company — Clif, Shot Energy Gel, Mocha
Corn, Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Coffee, Caffeine, Tea, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ole — Corn Tostadas
Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — Diet Cranberry Juice Drink
Cranberry, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Kellogg Company — Flower, Tinker Bell, Bird, Silvermist, Acorn, Iridessa Assorted Fruit Flavored Snacks, Flower, Tinker Bell, Bird, Silvermist, Acorn, Iridessa
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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