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 41 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
GENERAL MILLS SALES INC. — Old El Paso Mild Chopped Green Chiles
Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Solanine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — FRUIT PUNCH LOWER SUGAR THIRST QUENCHER, FRUIT PUNCH
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — ARUBA JAM SPRITE WITH FRUIT FLAVORS, ARUBA JAM
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — GELATIN DESSERT, GRAPE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Cool Blue Thrist Quencher 28 Fluid Ounce Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Powder Packs Glacier Freeze 4.2 Ounce 8 Pack
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Levant Mediterranean Snacks LLC — ROASTED EGGPLANT
Eggplant, Sesame, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — TROPICAL FRUIT IN FRUIT JUICE, FRUIT JUICE
Pineapple, Papaya, Pear, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — MANGO PEACH SMOOTHIE BARS, MANGO PEACH
Mango, Peach, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LOW CALORIE SODA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD
Pineapple, Papaya, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — LEMON-LIME THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, LEMON-LIME
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PEPSICO, INC — WATERMELON ENDURANCE FORMULA THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, WATERMELON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CAFFEINE FREE CHERRY LIMEADE UNSWEETENED DRINK MIX, CHERRY LIMEADE
Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CAFFEINE FREE STRAWBERRY UNSWEETENED DRINK MIX, STRAWBERRY
Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — GREEN TEA
Tea, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — BERRY CHERRY FLAVOR UNSWEETENED DRINK MIX, BERRY CHERRY
Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — ORANGE FLAVORED THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — HEARTS SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SPORTS DRINK WITH VITAMINS B3, B6 & B12, MOUNTAIN BERRY BLAST
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — DASANI, DROPS FLAVOR ENHANCER, PINEAPPLE COCONUT, PINEAPPLE COCONUT
Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Two Of A Kind Productions — CHERRY GOURMET ITALIAN ICES, CHERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — STRAWBERRY FLAVORED ENERGY GEL, STRAWBERRY
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — BUNNIES SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORIGINAL CRAFT GINGER BEER
Cane Sugar, Ginger, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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