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 45 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Mars, Inc. — ORANGE MINTS, ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PEPSICO, INC — GRAPE LOWER SUGAR THIRST QUENCHER POWDER, GRAPE
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PEPSICO, INC — SODA
Corn, Fructose, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. — JUICE BEVERAGE BLEND, SPARKLING RASPBERRY MINT
Apple, Grape, Raspberry, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — GELATIN DESSERT, STRAWBERRY BANANA
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Post Consumer Brands, LLC — STRAWBERRY FROSTED SHREDDED WHEAT FLAVORED CEREAL, STRAWBERRY FROSTED SHREDDED WHEAT
Wheat, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — LITTLE SIZZLERS ORIGINAL PORK SAUSAGE, LITTLE SIZZLERS ORIGINAL
Pork, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ORGANIC MANGO PREMIUM SPREAD
Mango, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — CARAMEL CANDY ENERGY GEL WITH CAFFEINE, CARAMEL CANDY
Caffeine, Fructose, Citric Acid, Corn
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — BERRY POMEGRANATE LIQUID WATER ENHANCER, BERRY POMEGRANATE
Citric Acid, Caffeine, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SCARY BERRY GHOUL-AID JAMMERS DRINK, SCARY BERRY
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GOOD & GATHER — JALAPENO STUFFED QUEEN OLIVES, JALAPENO
Olive, Chili Pepper, Capsaicin, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — HOT DICED TOMATOES WITH HABANEROS, HOT
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Citric Acid, Coriander/Cilantro
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SPRITE, LEMON-LIME SODA, LEMON-LIME
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — DICKINSON'S, PURE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BLUEBERRY PRESERVES, BLUEBERRY, BLUEBERRY
Blueberry, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — JAM, CONCORD GRAPE
Grape, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company — SODA, APPLE
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
McCormick & Company, Inc. — DIJON HORSERADISH MUSTARD, DIJON HORSERADISH
Mustard, Grape, Citric Acid, Turmeric
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — SHARP AMERICAN DELI DELUXE PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE SLICES, SHARP AMERICAN
American Cheese, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Paprika
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Post Consumer Brands, LLC — WHOLE WHEAT FIG BARS
Wheat, Cane Sugar, Canola/Rapeseed, Citric Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — GATORADE G2 TROPICAL PUNCH 12Z
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — ORANGE PASSIONFRUIT FLAVOR ENHANCER, ORANGE PASSIONFRUIT
Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. (CytoSport) — COOL CITRUS FLAVORED ADVANCED HYDRATION DRINK MIX WITH ELECTROLYTES, COOL CITRUS
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — WATERMELON ELECTROLYTE BEVERAGE POWDER, WATERMELON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company — Sprite Cranberry Bottle, 24 fl oz
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
4 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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