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 36 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Prime Energy Chews Fruit Punch 1 Ounce Sleeve
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — SODA, AGAVE VANILLA CREAM
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GREEN — SOUR CHERRY CARBONATED, SOUR CHERRY
Cherry, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Whole Foods Market, Inc. — BLOOD ORANGE ORGANIC ITALIAN SODA, BLOOD ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Orange, Citric Acid, Carrot
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — APRICOT SPREADABLE FRUIT
Apricot, Grape, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company — PEACH OO-LA-LONG TEA
Tea, Cane Sugar, Peach, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — POWERADE, WATERMELON STRAWBERRY WAVE SPORTS DRINK, WATERMELON STRAWBERRY, WATERMELON STRAWBERRY
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GREEN — CARBONATED LEMONADE, LEMONADE
Lemon, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — GATORADE G2 POMEGRANATE BLUEBERRY 20Z
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Blue #1, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company — MANGO WHITE JUST A TAD SWEET TEA, MANGO WHITE
Tea, Cane Sugar, Mango, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — LIGHT CALCIUM & VITAMIN D PULP FREE ORANGE JUICE, LIGHT CALCIUM & VITAMIN D PULP FREE
Orange, Citric Acid, Corn, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON LIME FLAVORED CAFFEINE FREE MINI SODA, LEMON LIME
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. — GRAPE FRUIT ICE BARS, GRAPE
Grape, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Carob
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CAFFEINE FREE WATERMELON UNSWEETENED DRINK MIX, WATERMELON
Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Watermelon
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMONADE STARTER FLAVORED CLASSIC LEMONADE DRINK MIX, LEMONADE STARTER
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — MANZANITA SOL, FLAVORED SODA, APPLE, APPLE
Fructose, Corn, Apple, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — CONCORD GRAPE JELLY, CONCORD GRAPE
Grape, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Low Calorie Fruit Punch 28 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — ZERO SUGAR COLA MINI
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — CAFFEINE FREE DIET COLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GREEN APPLE GELATIN DESSERT, GREEN APPLE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — DIET TONIC WATER
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Saccharin, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SPORTS DRINK, MOUNTAIN BERRY BLAST
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — MIXED BERRY FLAVORED JUICE BLEND WITH APPLE, STRAWBERRY, BLUEBERRY JUICES BASED SPORTS DRINK FROM CONCENTRATE, MIXED BERRY
Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, Carrot
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — COUNTRY MIST CITRUS SODA, COUNTRY MIST
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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