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 167 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Blue Sky Organic Black Cherry Can, 12 Fl Oz
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Victoria Fine Foods Llc — Victoria, Imported Greek Pepperoncini in Vinegar Marinade
Chili Pepper, FD&C Yellow #5, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Good Humor-breyers Ice Cream — Ice Bars
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Lime, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Diced Pears, Bartlett Pears in Lightly Sweetened Juice + Water
Pear, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hershey Creamery Company — ICE POPS, WACKY WATERMELON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — Hubert's, Half & Half Lemonade Green Tea, Orginal
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Lemon, Citric Acid, Tea, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — Cedar's, Everything Hommus
Sunflower, Olive, Sesame, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid, Cumin
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Turkey Pepperoni Snacks Bites
Turkey, Paprika, Garlic, Citric Acid, Corn
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — THE ORIGINAL CHIPOTLE FALAFEL BITES, THE ORIGINAL CHIPOTLE
Wheat, Sunflower, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. — Diet Snapple, Green Mountain Keurig, Half N Half Tea & Lemonade
Tea, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Cherry Mixed Fruit Peaches, Pears, & Cherries in Extra Light Syrup, Cherry Mixed Fruit
Peach, Pear, Cherry, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — Marinara Plant-based Meatballs with Orzo and Vegetables in a Fire-roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce, Marinara
Wheat, Soybean, Barley, Malt, Canola/Rapeseed, Yeast (Baker's), Onion, Garlic, Cane Sugar, Green Pea, Olive, Tomato, Corn, Paprika, Potato, Lemon, Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Fructose, Capsaicin, Asparagus
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — Light Pink Lemonade
Lemon, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Corn, Fructose, Aspartame, Grape
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Mtn Dew Code Red Cherry Soda 24 Fluid Ounce Can
Fructose, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Hubert's Lemonade Original Glass Bottle, 40 Fl Oz
Lemon, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — TOMATO SOUP, TOMATO
Tomato, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Celery, Garlic
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Solecito Foods Llc — Zanamia, Juice Drink, Carrot & Peach
Cane Sugar, Corn, Carrot, Peach, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Marshall's — Sardines in Tomato Sauce
Sardine, Tomato, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Black Pepper, Soybean
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Q — Spectacular Kola
Vanilla, Coumarin/Vanillin, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coriander/Cilantro, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Fructose
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Snack Crackers
Wheat, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lecithin (Soy)
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lipton, Liquid Iced Black Tea Mix, Strawberry Guava Flavor with Other Natural Flavor, Strawberry Guava with Other Natural Flavor
Tea, Glycerin/Glycerol, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Carrot
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — GREEN APPLE, CHERRY FLAVORED WREATHS GUMMIES, GREEN APPLE, CHERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, Llc — Pineapple Chunks in Pineapple Juice
Pineapple, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Sour Blue Raspberry and Sour Berry Punch Fruit Roll-ups Variety Pack 72 Count
Corn, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — Ocean Spray, Cran-grape, Juice Drink, Grape, Cranberry, Grape, Cranberry
Grape, Cane Sugar, Beet, Cranberry, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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