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.
Risk Distribution
How products containing Citric Acid break down by total trigger count:
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 29 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SMUCKER'S, RED PLUM JAM
Plum, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, ISLAND PINEAPPLE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — YELLOW CLING DICED PEACHES IN 100% FRUIT JUICE
Peach, Grape, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Low Calorie Glacier Freeze (8 - 20 Fl Oz) 160 Fluid Ounce 8 Pack Plastic Bottles
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Frost Glacier Cherry Thirst Quencher 20 Fluid Ounce Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — BIG SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CUCUMBER LEMONADE FINE BEVERAGES
Cucumber, Lemon, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
DICED WITH ROASTED GARLIC & HERB ROMA TOMATOES
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Garlic
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods Company — CHERRY MIXED FRUIT IN WATER SWEETENED WITH STEVIA & MONK FRUIT EXTRACTS, CHERRY MIXED FRUIT
Pear, Peach, Cherry, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, PEACH
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — BLUE RASPBERRY SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, BLUE RASPBERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON-LIME FLAVORED SODA, LEMON-LIME
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — GARLIC HOMMUS, GARLIC
Sesame, Sunflower, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — RUBY RED DIET GRAPEFRUIT JUICE DRINK FROM CONCENTRATE, RUBY RED
Grapefruit, Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — CRISCO, SAUTE SOLUTIONS, OLIVE OIL BLEND SAUTE STICK
Soybean, Olive, Lecithin (Soy), Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SMUCKER'S, BLUEBERRY PRESERVES
Blueberry, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, CHERRY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — ROASTED RED PEPPER HOMMUS, ROASTED RED PEPPER
Sesame, Sunflower, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Low Calorie Grape Thirst Quencher 28 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Thirst Quencher Grape (12-12 Fl Oz) 144 Fluid Ounce 12 Pack Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nabisco Food Company — ORIGINAL 65% VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD, ORIGINAL
Soybean, Whey, Lecithin (Soy), Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
LEMON LIME FLAVORED SODA
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — HARD SALAMI
Beef, Pork, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — PARKAY, VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD, PARKAY, VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD
Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Whey, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — FLAVORED SODA, COUNTRY MIST
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | 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