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 253 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Bj's Wholesale Club / Corporate Brands — Mango Passion Fruit Flavored Organic 100% Juice Blend From Concentrate, Mango Passion Fruit
Apple, Mango, Pear, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Peaches & Pears in Organic Grape and Lemon Juice From Concentrate, Peaches & Pears
Peach, Pear, Grape, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Organic Lori's Lemon Tea
Tea, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mango Flavored Refreshing Aloe Vera Drink, Mango
Fructose, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Mango
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — Organic Lemonade
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mccormick & Company, Inc. — Organics Fajita Seasoning Mix
Rice, Onion, Chili Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Garlic, Lime, Citric Acid, Tapioca, Sunflower
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Organic Barbeque Potato Chips
Potato, Sunflower, Safflower, Canola/Rapeseed, Cane Sugar, Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Black Pepper, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Grape Sugar Free Low Calorie Drink Mix, Grape
Corn, Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Plum Organics Applesauce Mashups Strawberry & Banana, 3.17oz (pack of 4)
Apple, Strawberry, Banana, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Company — PEACHES & CREAM INSTANT OATMEAL, PEACHES & CREAM
Oat, Cane Sugar, Sunflower, Canola/Rapeseed, Whey, Cow's Milk, Peach, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — V8 +hydrate Plant-based Hydrating Beverage, Pineapple Mango, 8 Oz. Can (pack of 6)
Sweet Potato, Citric Acid, Pineapple, Mango
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lemon Lime Organic Energy Seltzer
Citric Acid, Caffeine, Coffee
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Yellow Cling Diced Peaches in Organic Pear Juice From Concentrate
Peach, Pear, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Cascadian Farm Organic Concord Grape Fruit Spread
Cane Sugar, Grape, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cadia — Organic Mixed Berry Preserves
Cherry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted with Adobo Seasoning Petite Diced Tomatoes
Tomato, Onion, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Citric Acid, Oregano, Black Pepper
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — Organic Tomatoes Sauce, Tomatoes
Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — TWISTS CANDY, STRAWBERRY
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — MILD RED ENCHILADA SAUCE, MILD
Tomato, Corn, Cane Sugar, Chili Pepper, Soybean, Citric Acid, Garlic, Onion
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — WATERMELON MAJOR MELON SODA, WATERMELON
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Watermelon
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — FAVEREDS WATERMELON, CHERRY & STRAWBERRY JELLY BEANS, FAVEREDS
Cane Sugar, Corn, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
FLAMIN' HOT WITH A BLAST OF HEAT AND CITRUS SODA
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Yoplait Light Strawberry and Harvest Peach Gluten-Free Fat-Free Yogurt Cup Variety Pack 8 Count
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Strawberry, Peach, Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Aspartame
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LIPTON, ICED TEA, HALF & HALF, LEMONADE, HALF & HALF, LEMONADE
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Tea, Caffeine, Lemon, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — FRUIT MEDLEY
Apple, Grape, Orange, Pineapple, Cherry, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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