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 33 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON REAL BREWED TEA, LEMON
Tea, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
McCormick & Company, Inc. — MCCORMICK, CULINARY, ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SEASONING
Onion, Paprika, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Monster Energy Company — HUBERT'S, LEMONADE, STRAWBERRY
Cane Sugar, Lemon, Citric Acid, Strawberry
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sara Lee Foods — HILLSHIRE FARM, SUMMER SAUSAGE
Pork, Beef, Citric Acid, Mustard
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sara Lee Foods — BEEF SUMMER SAUSAGE
Beef, Citric Acid, Mustard, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle Waters North America Inc. — RED TEA, POMEGRANATE PASSIONFRUIT
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — PINEAPPLE MANGO THIRST QUENCHER, PINEAPPLE MANGO
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. — SPARKLING PEACH FLAVORED JUICE BEVERAGE BLEND FROM CONCENTRATE, PEACH
Apple, Grape, Peach, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMON LIME LIQUID WATER ENHANCER, LEMON LIME
Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — JAMMERS DRINK, ORANGE
Fructose, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — DIET COLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SODA, CITRUS
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — POWERADE, SPORTS DRINK MIX, MOUNTAIN BERRY BLAST, MOUNTAIN BERRY BLAST
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Corn, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — TROPICAL FRUIT PINEAPPLE, BANANAS, MANGO, AND DRAGON FRUIT BLEND, TROPICAL FRUIT
Pineapple, Banana, Mango, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — SEASONED OLIVE MEDLEY
Olive, Grape, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce
Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — GRAPE ZERO SUGAR THIRST QUENCHER CONCENTRATE PODS, GRAPE
Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — DIET - SODA ORIGINAL COLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — CAFFEINE FREE COLA
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — STRAWBERRY REDUCED SUGAR PRESERVES, STRAWBERRY
Strawberry, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SODA, ROOT BEER
Corn, Fructose, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — APPLE KIWI JUICE, STRAWBERRY
Apple, Pear, Strawberry, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — DIET JUICE COCKTAIL, CRANBERRY
Cranberry, Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — SOUR PATCH KIDS, SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, CHERRY, CHERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kellogg Company US — Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Cereal Fruit Medley 20.4oz
Wheat, Cane Sugar, Rice, Citric 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