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 76 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Hormel Foods Corporation — BUTTERY GARLIC MASHED POTATOES, BUTTERY GARLIC
Potato, Cow's Milk, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — HIBISCUS JUICE BEVERAGE, HIBISCUS
Fructose, Corn, Grape, Apple, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PepsiCo, Inc. — COOL BLUE ENERGY DRINK, COOL BLUE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — WILD CHERRY SUGARFREE HARD CANDY, WILD CHERRY
Citric Acid, Cherry, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
MANGO COLA
Corn, Fructose, Cane Sugar, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
STRAWBERRY SOUR BITEZ CANDY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — CITRUS COOLER THIRST QUENCHER, CITRUS COOLER
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — PRESERVES, PEACH
Peach, Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — CRYSTAL LIGHT, DRINK MIX, GRAPE, GRAPE
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Corn, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Coca-Cola USA Operations — SPORTS DRINK MIX
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Blue #1, Fructose
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — COFFEE DRINK WITH MILK
Coffee, Cane Sugar, Cow's Milk, Citric Acid, Carrageenan
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — STRAWBERRY JAM
Strawberry, Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — FRUIT PUNCH + BERRY THIRST QUENCHER
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — FULLY PREPARED PIZZA SAUCE, PIZZA
Tomato, Garlic, Onion, Citric Acid, Cane Sugar
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — ORANGE BIG SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, Fructose
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — TROPICANA, FRUTZ, FRUIT JUICE, SPARKLING ORANGE, SPARKLING ORANGE
Cane Sugar, Orange, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LOW CALORIE GELATIN DESSERT, RASPBERRY
Aspartame, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Corn
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — DICED TOMATOES IN SAUCE
Tomato, Citric Acid, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — MILD THICK N' CHUNKY TRADITIONAL SALSA, MILD THICK N' CHUNKY TRADITIONAL
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Onion, Citric Acid, Garlic
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — PEACH FLAVORED FRUIT DRINK
Fructose, Corn, Pear, Peach, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
GOOD & GATHER — CLASSIC HUMMUS MADE WITH CHICKPEAS, GARLIC & LEMON JUICE, CLASSIC
Sesame, Canola/Rapeseed, Garlic, Lemon, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — BERRY LOCO FOUR BERRY BLEND SPARKLING WATER BEVERAGE, BERRY LOCO
Citric Acid, Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — DRINK MIX, ORANGE
Citric Acid, Corn, Aspartame, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — LOW CALORIE DRINK MIX, GRAPE
Citric Acid, Aspartame, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1, Corn
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade G series Ice Punch 12 Fluid Ounces 12 pack Plastic Bottles
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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