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 199 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Dairylea Processed Cheese-portions Light 125.000 Gr
Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Whey
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips, Sour Cream & Onion
Potato, Sunflower, Safflower, Canola/Rapeseed, Cow's Milk, Onion, Whey, Corn, Parsley, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SWEET TEA, SWEET
Corn, Fructose, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Tea, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Phoenician Mediterranean Foods — Falafel
Garlic, Onion, Coriander/Cilantro, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Sesame, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Blue Bonnet Light Vegetable Oil Spread Tub, 45 Oz
Soybean, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — ICY CHARGE CRISP & COOL THIRST QUENCHER, ICY CHARGE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Sour Patch Kids Soft Candy Freeze Fat Free1x7.2 Oz
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Frito-Lay Company — SABRITAS, LAY'S, LAY'S POTATO CHIPS, LIMON, LIMON
Potato, Sunflower, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — 365 Everyday Value, Organic Cocktail Sauce
Tomato, Apple, Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Soybean, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Onion
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Barbacoa
Orange, Chili Pepper, Lime, Olive, Citric Acid, Capsaicin
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Danone, Dairy Drink
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Fructose, Strawberry, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — DRINK MIX, WILD STRAWBERRY
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Caffeine, Corn, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lipton — Imperial, 53% Vegetable Oil Spread
Soybean, Whey, Cow's Milk, Lecithin (Soy), Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-van Camp — Thirst Quencher Drink
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — Minute Maid, Lemonade
Fructose, Corn, Lemon, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Spicy Lemon Dill Seafood Cooking Sauce
Corn, Cane Sugar, Dill, Black Pepper, Garlic, Citric Acid, Yeast (Baker's), Lemon
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
J & B Wholesale Distributing Inc. — Original Wild Caught Salmon Fillets Recipe
Salmon, Canola/Rapeseed, Olive, Garlic, Paprika, Onion, Yeast (Baker's), Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market — Handmade Lollipop
Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Citric Acid, Beet, Cabbage, Paprika, Turmeric
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — No Sugar Added Cranberry Blackberry 100% Juice From Concentrate, Cranberry Blackberry
Apple, Citric Acid, Cranberry, Grape
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, Llc — Yellow Cling Diced Peaches in Slightly Sweetened Coconut Water
Peach, Coconut, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Del Monte, Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes
Tomato, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-van Camp — Gatorade, Thirst Quencher, Lemon-lime, Lemon-lime
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Hunts No Salt Added Tomato Sauce, 15 Oz
Tomato, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Hunts Original BBQ Sauce, 18 Oz
Tomato, Corn, Fructose, Cane Sugar, Mustard, Paprika, Carob, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Orville Redenbachers Movie Theater Butter Popcorn, 23.22 Oz
Corn, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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