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 43 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — PINK LEMONADE FLAVOR UNSWEETENED SOFT DRINK MIX, PINK LEMONADE
Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SMOKY AMERICAN DELI DELUXE CHEESE SLICES, SMOKY AMERICAN
American Cheese, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Paprika
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORIGINAL FLAVOR ALOE VERA DRINK
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Grape, Honey
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON LIME SODA, LEMON LIME
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — TROPICAL PUNCH GELS SNACKS, TROPICAL PUNCH
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — CALORIE FREE COCA-COLA WITH CHERRY FLAVOR, CHERRY
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — ORANGE MARMALADE
Fructose, Corn, Orange, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — REDBERRY SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, REDBERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — COUNTRY DIJON MUSTARD
Mustard, Grape, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — PREMIUM GENOA SALAMI
Pork, Beef, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G2 Tropical Blend Thirst Quencher 32 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nabisco Food Company — 44% VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD SPRAY
Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Whey, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company-0049000000016 — diet Coke Ginger Lime Can, 12 fl oz
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
MIXOLOGY STRAWBERRY GUAVA MOJITO MOCKTAIL & MIXER
Cane Sugar, Strawberry, Lime, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — SLICED PEACHES IN 100% JUICE
Peach, Pear, Grape, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
McCormick & Company, Inc. — CAJUN INJECTOR, CHOP HOUSE STEAK
Cane Sugar, Soybean, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Frost Glacier Cherry Thirst Quencher 28 Fluid Ounce Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CAFFEINE FREE SHOCKIN' BLUE RASPBERRY SOUR DRINK MIX, SHOCKIN' BLUE RASPBERRY
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — ORIGINAL NO SALT ADDED DICED TOMATOES & GREEN CHILIES, ORIGINAL
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Coriander/Cilantro
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — SMUCKER'S, PRESERVES, PEACH-MANGO, PEACH-MANGO
Peach, Mango, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — APPLE PEAR FLAVORED ENERGY GEL, APPLE PEAR
Corn, Rice, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — MILD & CREAMY DIJON MUSTARD, MILD & CREAMY
Mustard, Grape, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade 02 Perform Thirst Quencher Lemon-Lime 51 Ounce Instant Powder Mix Tin
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Molex Incorporated — ITALIAN CRUSHED TOMATOES WITH ONION AND GARLIC
Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Celsius, Inc. — ORANGESICLE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
Citric Acid, Caffeine, Tea, Ginger
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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