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 274 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — Organic Juice Drink Blend, Tropical Punch
Grape, Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company — Honest, Fizz Organic Root Beer
Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction / Individual Testing |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Pacific Foods Original Organic Coconut Milk, Plant Based Milk, 32 Oz Carton
Coconut, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Organic Tonic Water
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Premium Pineapple Aloe Vera Drink
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Pineapple, Honey
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Homegrown Organic Grapes Galore Bunny Fruit Snacks
Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, Carrot, Sunflower
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico, Inc. (yachak) — Infused Mate Organic Yerba Mate, Infused Mate
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
P. K. Kinder Co., Inc. — GARLIC & HERB WITH SEA SALT & LEMON SEASONING, GARLIC & HERB WITH SEA SALT & LEMON
Garlic, Onion, Parsley, Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid, Sunflower, Rice
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — 365 Everyday Value, Organic Petite Diced Tomatoes, Jalapeno & Cilantro
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Coriander/Cilantro, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Starbucks Coffee Company — Sugar-free Syrup
Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Corn
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Sugar Free Low Calorie Drink Mix, Pink Lemonade
Citric Acid, Corn, Aspartame, Cane Sugar, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — Macaroni & Cheese Made with Organic Pasta & Cheddar Cheese Dinner, Macaroni & Cheese
Wheat, Whey, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — FLAVORED JUICE BEVERAGE, BERRY BLEND
Fructose, Corn, Carrot, Apple, Cherry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — TWIZZLERS, PULL 'N' PEEL CANDY, FRUIT PUNCH, FRUIT PUNCH
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Glycerin/Glycerol, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — LOW FAT TWISTS SNACK, STRAWBERRY
Corn, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Tropicana Farmstand 100% Fruit & Vegetable Juice Peach Mango Flavor 12 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Sweet Potato, Grape, Apple, Orange, Carrot, Peach, Mango, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream — SIMPLY ICE POPS
Cane Sugar, Apple, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry, Citric Acid, Carob, Beet
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
LITE ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING
Soybean, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid, Lemon, Cane Sugar, Corn, Capsaicin
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coco Pure Premium Coconut Drink
Cane Sugar, Coconut, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
FANCY IN LIGHT SYRUP FRUIT COCKTAIL
Peach, Pear, Cane Sugar, Grape, Cherry, Pineapple, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #3
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — MIXED BERRY TRIPLE ZERO GO PACK NONFAT YOGURT SMOOTHIE, MIXED BERRY
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Whey, Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — LIGHT LEMON NON FAT YOGURT
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Turmeric
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Organic Berry Patch Bunny Fruit Snacks
Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, Carrot, Sunflower
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills, Inc. — YOGURT PERFECTION, ORANGE MANGO
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Whey, Cane Sugar, Corn, Mango, Orange, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Wholesome — Organic Jelly Beans
Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Grape, Citric Acid, Carrot, Turmeric, Sunflower
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
Search Any Product
Check any grocery product against the full MRT 176 panel — not just Citric Acid.
Open the Food Checker