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 44 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Terrapin Ridge Farms LLC — MARGARITA JELLY, MARGARITA
Cane Sugar, Lime, Orange, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — WINTER SPICED CRANBERRY LEMON-LIME FLAVORED SODA, WINTER SPICED CRANBERRY, LEMON-LIME
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Califia Farms, LP — VANILLA OAT CREAMER, VANILLA
Oat, Cane Sugar, Sunflower, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PINEAPPLE FLAVOR ALOE VERA DRINK
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Pineapple, Honey
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — LINEUPS SOFT & CHEWY CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Dannon Company, Inc. — BLENDED GREEK NONFAT YOGURT
Cow's Milk, Yogurt, Carrageenan, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — ORANGE JUICE BEVERAGE, NO PULP
Orange, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Red Bull North America, Inc. — ENERGY DRINK, CRANBERRY
Citric Acid, Caffeine, Cane Sugar, Fructose
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — PINEAPPLE JALAPENO JELLY, MEDIUM
Cane Sugar, Pineapple, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SWEET TEA DRINK MIX, SWEET TEA
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Tea, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — COUNTRY DIJON MUSTARD, COUNTRY DIJON
Mustard, Grape, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — WHITE TEA, RASPBERRY
Tea, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Raspberry
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Of Ny — GINGER ALE
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — LEMON ELECTROLYTE WATER BEVERAGE MIX, LEMON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — GELATIN DESSERT, LIME
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — VANILLA FLAVORED ZERO CALORIE COLA, VANILLA
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — CAFFEINE FREE LOW CALORIE SODA, CAFFEINE FREE
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — SNACK PACK, JUICY GELS, GEL SNACK CUPS, STRAWBERRY
Cane Sugar, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — 56% VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD SQUEEZE
Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — WHIPPED & BUTTERY 65% VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD, WHIPPED & BUTTERY
Soybean, Lecithin (Soy), Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — TOMATO SAUCE, CLASSIC
Tomato, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — JELLY, CONCORD GRAPE
Grape, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — GLACIER FREEZE CRISP & COOL THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, GLACIER FREEZE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — PEPPERONI SLICES
Pork, Beef, Paprika, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade 02 Perform Thirst Quencher Lemon-Lime Powder Packs (8-1.23 Oz) 9.8 Ounce 8 Pack Canister
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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