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 294 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Organic Green Tea From Concentrate
Apple, Mango, Tea, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Yoplait Whips! Strawberry Mist Gluten-free Low-fat Yogurt Mousse Cup
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Corn, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Organic Pasteurized Process Cheese Product
Cow's Milk, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Sour Cherry Berry Organic Cosmic Carrot Chews, Sour Cherry Berry
Carrot, Apple, Cherry, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills, Inc. — TERIYAKI STIR-FRY SAUCE
Soybean, Wheat, Cane Sugar, Corn, Ginger, Garlic, Sesame, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Strawberry Lemonade Organic Juice Drink
Grape, Apple, Lemon, Strawberry, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pineapple Mango Organic Energy Drink
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Annie's Organic Bernie's Farm Fruit Snacks 10 Count
Rice, Cane Sugar, Tapioca, Pear, Citric Acid, Sunflower
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Organic Italian Herb Pasta Sauce with No Sugar Added
Tomato, Onion, Olive, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Black Pepper, Citric Acid, Thyme
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Yoplait Whips! Orange Creme Gluten-free Low-fat Yogurt Mousse Cup
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Cane Sugar, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — Plum Organics Mighty Veggie Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana & Carrot, 3.75 Oz
Sweet Potato, Apple, Banana, Citric Acid, Carrot, Lemon
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — Organic Diced Tomatoes in Tomato Juice
Tomato, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Organic Morello Cherry Premium Spread
Cherry, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CREAM STYLE HORSERADISH
Soybean, Corn, Cane Sugar, Egg Yolk, Egg White, Lemon, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — PINEAPPLE TWIST SUGAR FREE GUM WITH XYLITOL, PINEAPPLE TWIST
Glycerin/Glycerol, Aspartame, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cadia — Organic Macaroni & Cheese
Wheat, Cow's Milk, Whey, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Clif Bar and Company — Clif, Organic Energy Food, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Oat, Apple, Sunflower, Quinoa, Maple Sugar, Cinnamon, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — LEMONADE, STRAWBERRY
Corn, Fructose, Lemon, Strawberry, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — Organic Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
Tomato, Basil, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hershey Mexico, S.A. De C.V. — SOFT CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — Cranberry Flavored Organic Apple Juice, Cranberry
Apple, Cranberry, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Gluten Free Brownie Bark
Cane Sugar, Potato, Egg White, Cocoa, Coumarin/Vanillin, Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Perdue Farms Incorporated — GRILLED ITALIAN STYLE CARVED CHICKEN BREAST
Chicken, Corn, Garlic, Onion, Parsley, Cane Sugar, Yeast (Baker's), Citric Acid
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Muir Glen Italian Herb Organic Pasta Sauce
Tomato, Onion, Olive, Garlic, Basil, Citric Acid, Oregano, Black Pepper, Thyme
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Halls Defense Cough Drops Assorted Citrus Sugar Free1x25 Pc
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean, FD&C Red #40
|
8 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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