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 162 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Campbell Soup Company — Plum Teensy Fruits Tots Snacks Mixed Berry
Apple, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Cake Mate, Black Icing
Cane Sugar, Soybean, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Dannon, Creamy Lowfat Yogurt, Strawberry
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Carrot, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Mccormick, Taco Seasoning Mix, Hot
Chili Pepper, Cumin, Paprika, Onion, Whey, Cow's Milk, Garlic, Potato, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — Hubert's Lemonade, Lemonade, Original
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Starbucks, Refreshers Via Instant, Strawberry Lemonade
Cane Sugar, Grape, Citric Acid, Coffee
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Clif Bar and Company — ORANGE ENERGY CHEWS, ORANGE
Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Tea, Caffeine, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Lemon & Pepper Seasoning Salt, Lemon & Pepper
Black Pepper, Citric Acid, Onion, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Celery, Lemon, FD&C Yellow #5
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — WHITE OUT SMOOTH CITRUS SODA, WHITE OUT
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Pepsi Cola (6 - 24 Fl Oz) 144 Fluid Ounce 6 Pack Plastic Bottles
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Diet Pepsi Cola Caffeine Free 12 Fluid Ounce Aluminum Can
Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Dole Dried Fruit and Nut Co. — Real Fruit Bites with Yogurt and Whole Grain Oats Apple Chunks
Apple, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Whey, Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Vanilla, Oat
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Alo, Elated, Real Aloe Vera Juice, Green Tea + Olive Leaf Tea
Tea, Olive, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Good Humor-breyers Ice Cream — Simply Ice Pops
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Beet, Turmeric
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hawaii Associated Wholesale — Aloha, Nectar, Pineapple, Orange
Cane Sugar, Pineapple, Orange, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
McCormick & Company, Inc. — BUFFALO SEASONING BLEND, BUFFALO
Garlic, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Corn
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle USA Inc. — Nescafe, Instant Coffee with Creamer & Sugar
Cane Sugar, Corn, Coconut, Coffee, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Aspartame
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nature Valley — Oatmeal
Oat, Cane Sugar, Apple, Almond, Barley, Rye, Cranberry, Glycerin/Glycerol, Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Heinz Frozen Food Company — Crispy French Fried Potatoes
Potato, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Sunflower, Corn, Onion, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Fruit & Veggie Fusions Peach Strawberry
Peach, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Squash, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, Llc — Mango Carrot Fruit & Veggie Blends, Mango Carrot
Mango, Banana, Carrot, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Hazelnut Syrup, Hazelnut
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Fanta Orange Soda Can, 12 Fl Oz
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Fruit Punch Flavored Sports Drink, Fruit Punch
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Perdue Farms Incorporated — Buffalo Style Roasted Chicken Wings Sections Glazed with Buffalo Style Hot Sauce, Buffalo Style
Chicken, Soybean, Corn, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Garlic
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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