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 293 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — MAGNIFICENT MIXED BERRY RHUBARB DOUBLE CREAM YOGURT WITH FRUIT ON THE BOTTOM, MIXED BERRY RHUBARB
Yogurt, Cow's Milk, Whey, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Blueberry, Tapioca, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — FROZEN II, BUBBLE BREEZE ICE CUBES SUGAR FREE GUM, BUBBLE BREEZE
Corn, Citric Acid, Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Glycerin/Glycerol, Aspartame, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mixed Fruit Organic Apple, Strawberry, Grape & Orange Fruit-flavored Snacks, Mixed Fruit
Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Apple, Strawberry, Grape, Orange, Citric Acid, Sunflower, Carrot
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Organic Summer Strawberry Bunny Fruit Snacks 22 Count
Rice, Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Pear, Citric Acid, Sunflower, Carrot
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — MILK CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, MILK CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER
Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Cow's Milk, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Peanut, Corn, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Roasted Garlic Organic Pasta Sauce
Tomato, Onion, Olive, Garlic, Citric Acid, Oregano, Black Pepper
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Sugar Free Low Calorie Drink Mix, Raspberry Lemonade
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Cane Sugar, Raspberry, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — TRADITIONAL ITALIAN SAUCE, TRADITIONAL
Tomato, Fructose, Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Citric Acid, Garlic, Onion
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Gluten Free Fried Dill Pickle Flavored Potato Chips
Potato, Cane Sugar, Corn, Yeast (Baker's), Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic, Dill
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Yoplait USA — Mixed Berry Keto Friendly Dairy Drink, Mixed Berry
Cow's Milk, Sunflower, Avocado, Carrot, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sugar Free Rainbow Twist Sports Drink
Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Organic Sunny Citrus Bunny Fruit Snacks
Tapioca, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid, Sunflower, Turmeric
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMON ICED TEA FLAVOR DRINK MIX, LEMON ICED TEA
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Tea, Corn, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Organic Black Pepper & Sea Salt Potato Chips, Black Pepper & Sea Salt
Potato, Sunflower, Safflower, Canola/Rapeseed, Corn, Black Pepper, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Newman's Own, Inc. — Organic Traditional Herb Pasta Sauce
Tomato, Citric Acid, Olive, Cane Sugar, Onion, Garlic, Black Pepper, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — Strawberry Organic Smoothies, Strawberry
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Lemon, Carob
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Unilever Bestfoods North America — Classic Vegan Mayo
Sunflower, Lemon, Coconut, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Citric Acid, Mustard
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — V8, LOW SODIUM 100% VEGETABLE JUICE
Tomato, Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
P. K. Kinder Co., Inc. — ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC & HERBS SEASONING, ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC & HERBS
Garlic, Onion, Cane Sugar, Chicken, Rice, Corn, Turmeric, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Hershey Company — MILK CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER CUP MINIATURES, MILK CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER
Peanut, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, Corn, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY — V8 BEVERAGE VEGETABLE
Tomato, Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — PEPPERMINT CHEWY MINTS, PEPPERMINT
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Tapioca, Mint/Menthol, Blue #1, Yellow #5, Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Yoplait Light Harvest Peach Fat Free Yogurt
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Peach, Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Organic Reduced Sugar Triple Berry Preserves, Triple Berry
Strawberry, Blueberry, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Diced Pears Organic Grape and Lemon Juice From Concentrate, Diced Pears
Pear, Grape, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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