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 30 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — TROPICAL PUNCH GELATIN DESSERT, TROPICAL PUNCH
Cane Sugar, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LITE SYRUP
Corn, Cane Sugar, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — DIET COLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Frost Thirst Quencher Powder Glacier Freeze 76.5 Ounce Can
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — SWEDISH FISH, SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SOUR GREEN APPLE GELATIN SNACKS, SOUR GREEN APPLE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON DIET ICED TEA, LEMON
Aspartame, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Tea
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORGANIC FRUIT PUNCH JUICE
Apple, Grape, Pear, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — GLACIER FREEZE THIRST QUENCHER CONCENTRATE PODS, GLACIER FREEZE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Blue #1, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — BLOOD ORANGE ITALIAN SODA, BLOOD ORANGE
Orange, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Carrot
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SMUCKER'S, CONCORD GRAPE JELLY
Grape, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Perform Low Calorie Blueberry-Pomegranate Thirst Quencher 32 Fluid Ounce Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
R. C. Bigelow, Inc. — HERBAL TEA
Orange, Mint/Menthol, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, CRANBERRY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — RASPBERRY LEMONADE GELATIN DESSERT MIX, RASPBERRY LEMONADE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — RASPBERRY GELATIN DESSERT, RASPBERRY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON LIME ICE SODA, LEMON LIME
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Post Consumer Brands, LLC — INSTANT OATMEAL, WILD BEARY
Oat, Cane Sugar, Blueberry, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Thirst Quencher Fruit Punch Sports Drink (24 - 12FlOz) 288 Fluid Ounce 24Pk Plastic Bottles
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Low Calorie Grape Thirst Quencher 32 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Cool Blue Sports Drink 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — PEACHES IN PASSION FRUIT GUAVA FLAVORED JUICE, PEACHES IN PASSION FRUIT GUAVA
Peach, Cane Sugar, Pear, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Betty Crocker Whipped Chocolate Frosting
Cane Sugar, Corn, Cocoa, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mott's LLP — JUICE BEVERAGE
Apple, Grape, Pear, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Califia Farms, LP — ALMONDMILK CREAMER
Almond, Cane Sugar, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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