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 226 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Campbell Soup Company — V8 Splash Beverage Lemonade
Fructose, Corn, Sweet Potato, Citric Acid, Lemon, FD&C Yellow #5
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kellogg Company Us — Kellogg's Other Licensed Fruit Pieces Monsters High 8oz
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Pure Leaf Tea with Lemon 18.5 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Tea, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Fanta Grapefruit Soda Bottle, 16 Fl Oz
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Grapefruit, Benzoic Acid, Carob
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — Hormel, Pepperoni
Pork, Beef, Corn, Paprika, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Iced Peachy Green Flavored Green Tea Concentrate
Tea, Mint/Menthol, Cane Sugar, Peach, Ginger, Apple, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Bj's Wholesale Club / Corporate Brands — Wellsley Farms, Soda, Lemon Lime
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Odoms Tennessee Pride Sausage Patties, 8 Oz
Pork, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Progresso Artichoke Hearts
Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
RAYGE CANDY & NUTS SMARTIES CANDY ROLLS, 8.5 OZ
Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #2
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico — Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry Cola 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Coca-cola Zero Sugar Bottle, 8.5 Fl Oz
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Bassetts Jelly Babies Candy Berry Mix
Cane Sugar, Corn, Sodium Metabisulfite, Apple, Strawberry, Raspberry, Citric Acid, Wheat
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Peaches, Pears & Pineapple Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lipton — Wish-bone, Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix
Corn, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Onion, MSG, Sunflower, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Sodium Metabisulfite
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Best Choice, Diet Orange Soda, Orange
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
R. C. Bigelow, Inc. — Bigelow, Liquid Water Enhancer, Peach Tea
Cane Sugar, Tea, Peach, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Dannon, Light & Fit, Nonfat Yogurt Drink, Strawberry Banana
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Newman's Own, Inc. — Half & Half Lemonade Iced Tea
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Tea, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Chai Pumpkin Spice Latte Black Tea Concentrate, Pumpkin Spice Latte
Tea, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cane Sugar, Honey, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle Waters North America Inc. — Nestea, Liquid Water Inhancer, Iced Tea with Peach
Citric Acid, Tea
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Lemonade
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Cashews Kettle-cooked Blueberry, Cranberry & Quinoa, Cashews
Cashew, Cane Sugar, Cranberry, Citric Acid, Blueberry, Quinoa
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Sour Blue Raspberry and Sour Berry Punch Fruit Roll-ups Variety Pack 10 Count
Corn, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — Fruit Punch, Fruit
Lemon, Grape, Pineapple, Apple, Citric Acid, Aspartame
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
Search Any Product
Check any grocery product against the full MRT 176 panel — not just Citric Acid.
Open the Food Checker