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 235 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — AMERICAN CHEESE
American Cheese, Cow's Milk, Whey, Citric Acid, Paprika, Soybean, Lecithin (Soy)
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Unilever — GINGER LIME MOSCOW MULE MIXOLOGY GREEN TEA & JUICE CONCENTRATE, GINGER LIME MOSCOW MULE
Tea, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, Fructose, Ginger, Lime, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LIME SODA, TROPICAL LIME
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Frito-Lay Company — TERIYAKI TENDER BITES
Beef, Cane Sugar, Soybean, Wheat, Corn, MSG, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA FLAVORED COFFEE DRINK K-CUP PODS, SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA
Cane Sugar, Coconut, Corn, Cow's Milk, Coffee, Cocoa, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Foods-Snack Foods Group — SLIM JIM, BEEF JERKY, TABASCO SPICED, SLIM JIM, BEEF JERKY, TABASCO SPICED
Beef, Cane Sugar, Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Citric Acid, Soybean, Wheat
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — THREE FRUIT MARMALADE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — TWIZZLERS, LOW FAT SNACK, CHERRY, CHERRY
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — FIRE FRUIT VARIETY MIX SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, BERRY BLAZE, TROPICAL FLAME, APPLE FEVER, ANGRY WATERMELON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — PREGO SAUCES TOMATO BASIL
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Basil, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods Company — MIXED FRUIT
Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Grape, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
FRUITY SWEET GLAZE POPCORN
Corn, Cane Sugar, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #1, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Red Bull North America, Inc. — ENERGY DRINK, PLUM TWIST
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Yoplait Whips! Chocolate Gluten-Free Low-Fat Yogurt Mousse Cup
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Cocoa, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — ORANGE SODA, ORANGE
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — PEACH MANGO DRINK MIX WITH CAFFEINE, PEACH MANGO
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Corn, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — Campbell's Classic Condensed Tomato Soup, 50 Ounce Cans, 12-Pack
Tomato, Fructose, Corn, Wheat, Citric Acid, Celery, Garlic
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — WATERMELON 10% JUICE BLEND, WATERMELON
Watermelon, Corn, Fructose, Pear, Grape, Apple, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — ASSORTED SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, ASSORTED
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — GOLDEN GOODNESS VEGETABLE AND FRUIT BEVERAGE WITH A 75% BLEND OF 4 VEGETABLE AND FRUIT JUICES FROM CONCENTRATE, GOLDEN GOODNESS
Sweet Potato, Carrot, Grape, Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — MUSHROOM ITALIAN SAUCE, MUSHROOM
Tomato, Mushroom, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — TOMATO & BASIL PASTA SAUCE, TOMATO & BASIL
Tomato, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar, Soybean, Onion, Garlic, Basil
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Stonyfield Farm Inc — BROWN COW, NONFAT GREEK YOGURT WITH FRUIT ON THE BOTTOM, PEACH, PEACH
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Whey, Peach, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — PINEAPPLE IN A BLEND OF 100% FRUIT JUICES WITH CUCUMBER & MINT, PINEAPPLE WITH CUCUMBER & MINT
Pineapple, Grape, Apple, Cucumber, Lemon, Mint/Menthol, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — PREMIUM LEMONADE
Fructose, Corn, Lemon, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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