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 233 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
P. K. Kinder Co., Inc. — MASTER SALT (GARLIC, SEA SALT & BUTTER) SEASONING, MASTER SALT (GARLIC, SEA SALT & BUTTER)
Garlic, Corn, Cane Sugar, Cow's Milk, Whey, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE WITH STRAWBERRIES, STRAWBERRY
Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Whey, Carob, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — TROPICAL BLEND JUICE
Sweet Potato, Carrot, Grape, Apple, Pineapple, Mango, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — SOUR PATCH KIDS, SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, BERRIES, BERRIES
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1, Watermelon
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ICED VANILLA JAVA ICED COFFEE CONCENTRATE, ICED VANILLA JAVA
Cane Sugar, Coffee, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Vanilla, Coumarin/Vanillin, Corn
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. (Health Warrior) — HEALTH WARRIOR, CHIA PROTEIN BAR, LEMON GOLDENBERRY, LEMON GOLDENBERRY
Cashew, Rice, Green Pea, Coconut, Lemon, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — BAJA GOLD SODA WITH A BLAST OF PINEAPPLE, BAJA GOLD
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #5, Pineapple
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Kellogg Company — ASSORTED FRUIT FLAVORED SNACKS, FRUIT
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — SLOPPY JOE SEASONING MIX
Corn, Cane Sugar, Onion, Wheat, Paprika, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — SWEET CHILI STIR FRY MARINADE SAUCE, SWEET CHILI
Cane Sugar, Chili Pepper, Soybean, Wheat, Garlic, Corn, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — RASPBERRY GREEN TEA DRINK MIX, RASPBERRY
Citric Acid, Corn, Aspartame, Tea, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SODA
Fructose, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hershey Mexico, S.A. De C.V. — TAMARINDO LOLLIPOP, HOT INTENSO
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — PINEAPPLE SODA, PINEAPPLE
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — POMEGRANATE VANILLA FLAVORED CASHEWS MADAGASCAR VANILLA BEANS, POMEGRANATE FLAVORED APPLE GLAZED MIX, POMEGRANATE VANILLA
Cashew, Apple, Vanilla, Coumarin/Vanillin, Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Yoplait USA — VANILLA FLAVORED SMOOTH STYLE ORIGINAL LOW FAT YOGURT, VANILLA
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Whey, Citric Acid, Vanilla
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — Prego Chunky Tomato, Basil and Garlic Pasta Sauce, 23.75 OZ Jar
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Basil, Garlic, Citric Acid, Onion
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — LOW FAT YOGURT, ORIGINAL, PINA COLADA
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Pineapple, Corn, Coconut, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — WESTERN STYLE FRENCH DRESSING, WESTERN STYLE
Soybean, Cane Sugar, Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — SWEET TOMATO BASIL SQUEEZE PIZZA SAUCE, SWEET TOMATO BASIL
Tomato, Corn, Fructose, Basil, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — SWEETS + SOURS SWEET STRAWBERRY, SOUR GREEN APPLE, SOUR CHERRY, SWEET BLACKBERRY FRUIT CHEWS, SWEETS + SOURS
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Tapioca, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Q — SPECTACULAR GINGER BEER
Citric Acid, Ginger, Chili Pepper, Coriander/Cilantro, Lime, Orange, Fructose
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — ORIGINAL LOW FAT YOGURT, STRAWBERRY BANANA
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Corn, Banana, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — RASPBERRY ICE DRINK MIX, RASPBERRY ICE
Citric Acid, Corn, Aspartame, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ORANGE CAFE CAFE-STYLE BEVERAGE MIX, ORANGE CAFE
Cane Sugar, Coconut, Corn, Cow's Milk, Coffee, Glycerin/Glycerol, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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