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 229 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Frito-Lay Company — LIMON FLAVORED POTATO CHIPS, LIMON
Potato, Sunflower, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Lime
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Frito-Lay Company — SALT & PEPPER SUNFLOWER SEEDS, SALT & PEPPER
Sunflower, Corn, Black Pepper, Yeast (Baker's), Citric Acid, Garlic, Onion
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Halls Candy Original Sugar Free
Aspartame, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
The Minute Maid Company — STRAWBERRY SOFT FROZEN LEMONADE, STRAWBERRY
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Strawberry, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — ZOMBIE SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — LEMONADE ZEROSUGAR JUICE, LEMONADE
Lemon, Citric Acid, Corn, Glycerin/Glycerol, Benzoic Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Tropicana Twister Tropical Fruit Fury Flavored Juice 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Corn, Fructose, Apple, Grape, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Trident Soft Gum Tropical Sugar Free 27 Gr
Aspartame, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Sunflower, Paprika
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — PREGO, CHUNKY GARDEN MUSHROOM SUPREME ITALIAN SAUCE
Tomato, Mushroom, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — FAVEREDS WATERMELON, CHERRY, STRAWBERRY & FRUIT PUNCH SUGARFREE GUM, FAVEREDS
Glycerin/Glycerol, Aspartame, Citric Acid, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — CHERRY LIME FLAVORED ELECTROLYTE BEVERAGE, CHERRY LIME
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Red #40, Cherry, Lime
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — PREGO, VEGGIE SMART, ITALIAN SAUCE
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Onion, Sweet Potato, Citric Acid, Garlic
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — MILD TACO SAUCE, MILD
Tomato, Corn, Fructose, Paprika, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — TROPICAL BERRY COLLISIONS SUGARFREE GUM, TROPICAL BERRY
Glycerin/Glycerol, Aspartame, Citric Acid, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
NESTLE DREYER'S ICE CREAM — FRUIT & CREAM BARS, CREAMY PINEAPPLE COCONUT
Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Coconut, Pineapple, Tapioca, Citric Acid, Carob
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — PINK LEMONADE
Fructose, Corn, Lemon, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Kellogg Company — WILDBERRY APPLE FRUIT & VEGGIE STRIP, WILDBERRY APPLE
Apple, Pumpkin, Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Carrot, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMONADE JUICE DRINK FROM CONCENTRATE, LEMONADE
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Lemon, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — ORANGE & GRAPE SPOOKY JELLY BEANS, ORANGE & GRAPE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Apple, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — CHRISTMAS BOOK SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
HI-C ORANGE LAVABURST CARTONS, 6 FL OZ, 8 PACK
Fructose, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — PINEAPPLE 1.5% SMALL CURD LOWFAT COTTAGE CHEESE, PINEAPPLE
Cottage Cheese, Cow's Milk, Pineapple, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — CHOCOLATE CAKE & CUPCAKE MIX
Cane Sugar, Wheat, Cocoa, Canola/Rapeseed, Corn, Carob, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills, Inc. — SAUCE, LEMON GARLIC
Soybean, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Egg Yolk, Lemon, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills, Inc. — RED ENCHILADA SAUCE, MILD
Tomato, Corn, Cane Sugar, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Garlic, Onion
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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