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 38 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — STRAWBERRY FLAVORED JUICY GELS, STRAWBERRY
Cane Sugar, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — APPLE JELLY, APPLE
Apple, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — JUICY GELS, STRAWBERRY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Carrageenan, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — SEEDLESS BLACKBERRY PRESERVES
Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ORANGE GELATIN DESSERT, ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Solecito Foods LLC — CARROT & MANGO JUICE DRINK
Carrot, Mango, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Fruit Punch Powder Packs (8-1.23 Oz) 9.8 Ounce 8 Pack Canister
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Raspberry Lemonade (8 - 20 Fluid Ounce) 160 Fluid Ounce 8 Pack Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Fierce Thirst Quencher Grape 28 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade 02 Perform Thirst Quencher Orange Powder Packs (8-1.23 Oz) 9.8 Ounce 8 Pack Canister
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Thirst Quencher Low Calorie Lemon-Lime 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — CHERRY SOURS CANDY, CHERRY SOURS
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — STRAWBERRY WATERMELON LIQUID WATER ENHANCER, STRAWBERRY WATERMELON
Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — LACTOSE FREE 53% VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD, LACTOSE FREE
Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — ORIGINAL DICED TOMATOES & GREEN CHILIES, ORIGINAL
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Coriander/Cilantro
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — BLUEBERRY PRESERVES, BLUEBERRY
Blueberry, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Instant Powder Mix Frost Glacier Freeze 18.3 OZ
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — PEACH PRESERVES, PEACH
Peach, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — JAMMERS ZERO SUGAR GRAPE FLAVORED SOFT DRINK, GRAPE
Citric Acid, Grape, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — BAJA BLAST TROPICAL LIME ZERO SUGAR SODA, BAJA BLAST
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — LEMON-LIME SODA
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — DIET ROOT BEER
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — MARSHMALLOW FLAVORED COLA, MARSHMALLOW
Fructose, Corn, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SWEET ORANGE MARMALADE, SWEET ORANGE
Corn, Fructose, Orange, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — AMERICAN DELI DELUXE CHEESE SLICES, AMERICAN
American Cheese, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Paprika
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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