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 80 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — GREEN BIG SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, GREEN
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Sara Lee Foods — GALLO SALAME, LIGHT ITALIAN DRY SALAME
Pork, Beef, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — BLUE CHERRY FLAVORED BOLD & INTENSE THIRST QUENCHER
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Post Consumer Brands, LLC — APPLES & CINNAMON STEEL CUT INSTANT OATMEAL WITH FLAX SEEDS, APPLES & CINNAMON
Oat, Cane Sugar, Apple, Cinnamon, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — PEANUT BUTTER & GRAPE JELLY STRIPES
Peanut, Grape, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Quaker Oats Co./gatorade-Van Camp — LIME CUCUMBER FLAVORED THIRST QUENCHER, LIME CUCUMBER
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
McCormick Distilling Company — MARGARITA MIX AZUL
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — MINI COLA
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — GRAPE SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, GRAPE
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — WING SAUCE
Chili Pepper, Canola/Rapeseed, Garlic, Citric Acid, Paprika
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — DRINK MIX, TROPICAL PUNCH
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — MAPLE PECANS
Corn, Pecan, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Red Bull North America, Inc. — ENERGY DRINK, TROPICAL
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
RBR Wholesale, LLC — MEXICAN CANDY
Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Chili Pepper, Corn, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The J.M. Smucker Company — RASPBERRY DESSERT TOPPING, RASPBERRY
Raspberry, Cane Sugar, Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Quaker Instant Oatmeal Flavor Variety (18 - 1.51 Ouncz) 27.3 Ounces 18 Count Paper Pouches
Oat, Cane Sugar, Apple, Cinnamon, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Lemon-Lime Sports Drink 20 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Thirst Quencher Mango 32 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #6, Glycerin/Glycerol
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Gatorade Perform Lemon-Lime Thirst Quencher 11.6 Fluid Ounce Aluminum Can
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, FD&C Yellow #5
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico Inc. — Tropicana Cranberry Juice Beverage 15.2 Fluid Ounce Plastic Bottle
Cane Sugar, Cranberry, Grape, Apple, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsi-Cola North America Inc. — WILD CHERRY COLA MINI, WILD CHERRY
Fructose, Corn, Cane Sugar, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mondelez International, Inc. — BLACK RASPBERRY SOUR HEARTS SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, BLACK RASPBERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-Cola Company-0049000000016 — Fanta Strawberry Soda Bottle, 16 fl oz
Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. — OCEAN SPRAY, WAVE, JUICE DRINK, APPLE WITH WHITE CRANBERRIES
Cane Sugar, Beet, Apple, Cranberry, Citric Acid
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
PINK BOTTLE LEMONADE
Lemon, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40
|
5 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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