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.
7,950
Products Found
38.4%
Of All Products
210
Low Risk (0-2)
6,654
High Risk (5+)
Risk Distribution
How products containing Citric Acid break down by total trigger count:
210
2.6%
Low Risk (0-2 triggers)
1,086
13.7%
Moderate (3-4 triggers)
6,654
83.7%
High Risk (5+ triggers)
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 54 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SODA, GRAPEFRUIT
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Grapefruit, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — TANG, DRINK MIX, ORANGE, ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Fruit Punch Thirst Quencher 24 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Dole 100% Juice Pineapple Orange Banana 59 Fluid Ounce Plastic Botttle
Pineapple, Orange, Banana, Apple, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods, LLC — MIXED BERRY PROBIOTIC FRUIT SODA, MIXED BERRY
Apple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Blueberry, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — STRAWBERRY KIWI THIRST QUENCHER, STRAWBERRY KIWI
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — ODOMS TENNESSEE PRIDE Sausage Patties, 8 OZ
Pork, Cane Sugar, Rosemary, MSG, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo Inc. Brand Owner — Quaker Instant Quaker Oatmeal Express Cup Apple Cranberry 1.79Z/12
Oat, Cane Sugar, Cranberry, Apple, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. — FRUIT ICE BARS
Strawberry, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Carob, Turmeric
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — COOL BLUE THIRST QUENCHER, COOL BLUE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — GOURMET POPPING CORN, LIGHT BUTTER
Corn, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Turmeric, Paprika
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ATHENOS, HUMMUS ROASTED RED PEPPER
Sesame, Canola/Rapeseed, Soybean, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — PEACH MANGO FLAVORED DRINK, PEACH MANGO
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #6
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LEMON PUDDING & PIE FILLING, LEMON
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — ROCK-A-DILE RED LOW CALORIE ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED DRINK MIX, ROCK-A-DILE RED
Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1, Corn
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — TOMATOES SAUCE, TOMATOES
Tomato, Onion, Citric Acid, Garlic, Chili Pepper
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. — MANGO FRUIT AND DAIRY BARS, MANGO
Mango, Cow's Milk, Cane Sugar, Carob, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
BIGELOW — ICED TEA& LEMONADE TEA BAGS, ICED TEA & LEMONADE
Tea, Citric Acid, Lemon, Lecithin (Soy), Soybean
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — STRAWBERRY LEMONADE SPARKLING DRINK, STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — PICKLED OKRA
Garlic, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 80, Turmeric, FD&C Yellow #5
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — KOOL-AID, EASY DRINK MIX, TROPICAL PUNCH, TROPICAL PUNCH
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — LEMON DIET COLA, LEMON
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Lemon
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Recover Protein Recovery Beverage Kiwi Strawberry 16.9 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cow's Milk, Whey, Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — TOMATO SAUCE
Tomato, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle Waters North America Inc. — NESTEA, ICED TEA, RASPBERRY
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Tea, Benzoic Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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