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 32 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
LEMON LIME FLAVORED SODA
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — JELLY, CONCORD GRAPE
Grape, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SPRITE, LIME SODA, LIME
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — ONE CALORIE COLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. — HOT APPLE CIDER K-CUPS PODS, HOT APPLE
Apple, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Cinnamon
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Lipton — LEMON FLAVOR SWEETENED ICED TEA MIX, LEMON
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Tea, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — HORMEL SPECIAL RECIPE Sausage Turkey 1.0 Ounce Link
Turkey, Cane Sugar, MSG, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — BUNNIES SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, BUNNIES
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — COCKTAIL, CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE
Fructose, Corn, Cranberry, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — PINEAPPLE IN FRUIT JUICE WITH CUCUMBER AND MINT, PINEAPPLE
Pineapple, Cucumber, Mint/Menthol, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SYRUP, BUTTER
Corn, Fructose, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — YELLOW CLING SLICED PEACHES IN 100% FRUIT JUICE, 100% FRUIT JUICE
Peach, Pear, Grape, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CRYSTAL LIGHT, PURE NATURALLY SWEETENED DRINK MIX, LEMONADE, LEMONADE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Lemon, Turmeric
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — BRRR BERRY ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED DRINK, BRRR BERRY
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GRAPE GELATIN DESSERT, GRAPE
Cane Sugar, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE SLICES, SHARP CHEDDAR
American Cheese, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Paprika
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
CHERRY SLICES CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — TROPICAL FRUIT SPREAD
Cane Sugar, Pineapple, Mango, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, BLACK CHERRY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — ROASTED PINE NUTS HOMMUS, ROASTED PINE NUTS
Sesame, Sunflower, Citric Acid, Garlic
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Dole 100% Juice Pina Colada 59 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Apple, Pineapple, Coconut, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Low Calorie Orange (8 - 20 Fl Oz) 160 Fluid Ounce 8 Pack Plastic Bottles
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Lemon-Lime Thrist Quencher Instant Mix Powder 76.5 Ounce Canister
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — GATORADE ALLSTAR STRAWBERRY 12Z18PK
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — FRUIT PUNCH FLAVORED THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, FRUIT PUNCH
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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