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 242 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. — STRAWBERRY FRUIT AND DAIRY BARS, STRAWBERRY
Strawberry, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Carob, Beet, Turmeric
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — PREGO SAUCES TOMATO & MUSHROOM
Tomato, Mushroom, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMONADE DRINK MIX, LEMONADE
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Yellow #5, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — TROPICAL LEMONADE, TROPICAL
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Lemon, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
APPLE FLAVORED SOUR CANDY BELTS
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Wheat, Citric Acid, Blue #1, Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Foods-Snack Foods Group — BEEF STICKS, MILD
Beef, Pork, Chicken, Soybean, Corn, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CLASSIC BBQ SAUCE
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Corn, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — MINCEMEAT FILLING & TOPPING, RUM & BRANDY
Fructose, Corn, Grape, Apple, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Orange
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Perdue Farms Incorporated — ST. LOUIS STYLE PORK SPARERIBS IN BARBEQUE SAUCE, ST. LOUIS STYLE
Pork, Tomato, Cane Sugar, Corn, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SUGAR FREE VANILLA FROSTING, VANILLA
Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Corn, Lemon, Orange, Soybean
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — PULL 'N' PEEL CANDY, MIXED BERRY
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Glycerin/Glycerol, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — SOUR THEN SWEET SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, SOUR THEN SWEET
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. (BFY Brands) — SWEET CHILI POPPED-CORN SNACK, SWEET CHILI
Corn, Sunflower, Cane Sugar, Onion, Garlic, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PEPSICO, INC — CAFFEINE FREE ORANGE TWISTER SODA, ORANGE
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — ORANGE FANTA, ORANGE
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SODA, SANGRITA BLAST
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMONADE FLAVORED DRINK MIX, LEMONADE
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Corn, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Pacific Foods Organic Creamy Light in Sodium Tomato Soup, 32 Oz Carton (case of 12)
Cow's Milk, Tomato, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Rice, Garlic, Onion
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — BERRY BITES GUMMIES CANDY, STRAWBERRY, RED RASPBERRY, CHERRY BERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Blue #2, FD&C Yellow #5
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Kellogg Company — RASPBERRY LEMONADE LAYERED FRUIT BAR, RASPBERRY LEMONADE
Apple, Corn, Cane Sugar, Raspberry, Lemon, Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — SPICY RED PEPPER ITALIAN SAUCE, SPICY RED PEPPER
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Onion, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — MTN DEW, VOLTAGE, SODA, RASPBERRY, CITRUS, GINESENG, RASPBERRY, CITRUS, GINESENG
Fructose, Corn, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — FAJITA SEASONING MIX, ORIGINAL
Corn, Paprika, Onion, Garlic, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Yeast (Baker's)
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ZESTY ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING & RECIPE MIX, ZESTY ITALIAN
Cane Sugar, Garlic, Onion, Carrot, Corn, Parsley, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — WATERMELON ENERGY GEL WITH CAFFINE, WATERMELON
Watermelon, Caffeine, Fructose, Citric Acid, Corn, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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