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 244 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Conagra Brands Inc — Marie Callender's Frozen Pie Dessert, Lattice Peach, 40 Ounce, 40 OZ
Peach, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Soybean, Corn, Citric Acid, Turmeric
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — FAVEREDS STRAWBERRY, CHERRY, FRUIT PUNCH & WATERMELON FRUIT CHEWS, FAVEREDS
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Tapioca, Apple, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — LIGHT PINK LEMONADE, LIGHT PINK
Lemon, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Corn, Fructose, Aspartame, Grape
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — RASPBERRY GREEN TEA DRINK MIX, RASPBERRY GREEN TEA
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. — BRISK MATE, ENERGIZING ICED TEA, DRAGONFRUIT, DRAGONFRUIT
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — SOUR SWEET SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, SOUR 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 |
|
Mars, Inc. — GRAPE FRUITY CHEWS SUGARFREE GUM, GRAPE
Glycerin/Glycerol, Citric Acid, Aspartame, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
P. K. Kinder Co., Inc. — SPICY GARLIC WITH CRUSHED RED JALAPENO SEASONING, SPICY GARLIC WITH CRUSHED RED JALAPENO
Garlic, Cane Sugar, Chili Pepper, Onion, Sunflower, Rice, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
RBR Wholesale, LLC — PULPARINDOS MEXICAN CANDY, MANGO & WATERMELON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #1
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — LOW FAT SNACK BITES CANDY, STRAWBERRY
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
TURKEY HILL ORANGEADE, 128 FL OZ
Corn, Fructose, Cane Sugar, Orange, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Yellow #6
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — CREME SODA, FRENCH VANILLA
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Vanilla, Coumarin/Vanillin
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills, Inc. — FROSTING, RASPBERRY SHERBET
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — FRUITY TWISTS BITES, FRUIT PUNCH
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Red #40, FD&C 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 |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — DICED MIXED FRUIT STRAWBERRIES, PEACHES & MANGO MIX-INS, DICED MIXED FRUIT
Peach, Mango, Strawberry, Grape, Pineapple, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
BJ's Wholesale Club / Corporate Brands — HARD CANDY PARTY MIX, HARD CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #6
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY MEAT SNACKS
Beef, Soybean, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — BRISK, MATE, ENERGIZING ICED TEA, MANGO, MANGO
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Yellow #5, Mango, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. (CytoSport) — CHOCOLATE LIGHT NON-DAIRY PROTEIN SHAKE, CHOCOLATE
Cow's Milk, Cocoa, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Carrageenan, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — WATERMELON + TROPICAL FRUIT LAYERS SUGAR FREE GUM, WATERMELON + TROPICAL FRUIT
Aspartame, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Glycerin/Glycerol, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — V8 V-FUSION BEVERAGE GRAPE RASPBERRY
Sweet Potato, Carrot, Beet, Grape, Apple, Raspberry, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORGANIC DELISHFISH CANDY
Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Apple, Grape, Citric Acid, Sunflower, Carrot
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — CARAMEL FLAVORED SUNDAE SYRUP, CARAMEL
Corn, Fructose, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — ORIGINAL LOW FAT YOGURT, PEACH
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Whey, Cane Sugar, Peach, Corn, Citric Acid
|
7 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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