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 276 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Fruit Roll-Ups Variety Pack 72 Count
Corn, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — Redberry Vibes Sugar Free Gum, Redberry
Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Apple Cinnamon Organic Instant Oatmeal, Apple Cinnamon
Oat, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, Cinnamon
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes
Tomato, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Pacific Foods Organic Light in Sodium Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, 32 Oz Carton
Cow's Milk, Tomato, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Citric Acid, Rice, Onion
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Fruit Roll-Ups Blastin' Berry Hot Colors 10 Count
Corn, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Clif Bar Family Winery & Farm Llc — Smoked Spanish Pimenton Almonds Organic Savory Nut Mix, Smoked Spanish Pimenton Almonds
Almond, Coconut, Cane Sugar, Paprika, Cumin, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomato Organic Pasta Sauce
Tomato, Onion, Olive, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Citric Acid, Black Pepper, Thyme
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Wholesome Valley Foods — Organic Ridged Plantain Chips
Coconut, Cane Sugar, Tomato, Onion, Paprika, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sahadi Fine Foods — MEDIUM RED ZHUG MIDDLE EASTERN HOT SAUCE, MEDIUM RED ZHUG
Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Garlic, Coriander/Cilantro, Cumin, Lemon, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — V8 SPL ISLAND STRAW 64 FO
Corn, Fructose, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Cherry, Strawberry, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — Assorted Zero Sugar Freeze Pops, Tropical Punch, Blue Raspberry, Orange, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, Grape
Glycerin/Glycerol, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Strawberry Orange Lime Gelatinas Assorted Sugar Free Gelatin
Aspartame, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Organic Juice Blend, Fruit Punch
Apple, Strawberry, Orange, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
Tomato, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — Sugar Free Drink Mix, Cherry
Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, Corn
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — SWANSON, FLAVOR BOOST, CONCENTRATED FLAVOR BLEND, SWEET ONION & BURGUNDY WINE, SWEET ONION & BURGUNDY WINE
Onion, Corn, Cane Sugar, Grape, Sodium Metabisulfite, Yeast (Baker's), Citric Acid, Garlic
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SODA, ELECTRIFYING BERRY
Benzoic Acid, Blue #1, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Fructose
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — ORANGESICLE ORANGE CREME
Corn, Fructose, Cane Sugar, Cow's Milk, Orange, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 80, FD&C Yellow #6
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — 5 FLAVORS GUMMIES CANDY, CHERRY, WATERMELON, ORANGE, STRAWBERRY, GREEN APPLE
Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Sunflower, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — MARINARA PREMIUM PASTA SAUCE, MARINARA
Tomato, Citric Acid, Olive, Onion, Garlic, Basil, Black Pepper, Oregano
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Strawberry Sensation Fruit Roll-Ups 10 Count
Corn, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company — Honest, Organic Fizz Root Beer
Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction / Individual Testing |
|
Organic Raspberry Spread
Grape, Raspberry, Apple, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sugar Free Vanilla Bean Syrup with Dispensing Pump
Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
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