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 85 of 318
| Product | Triggers | LEAP Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Post Foods, Llc — Performance Sports Drink Mix
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Turmeric
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Dole Packaged Foods Company — Acai Bowls
Citric Acid, Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry, Oat, Coconut, Honey, Canola/Rapeseed
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
International Wholesalers Corp — Mango Juice Drink with Pulp, Mango
Mango, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Aloe Vera + Wheatgrass Juice Drink
Cane Sugar, Wheat, Citric Acid, Turmeric
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Nestle USA Inc. — Flavored Juice Blend, Grape
Apple, Grape, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kellogg Company Us — Kellogg Fruit Pieces Disney Disney Frozen 64oz
Corn, Cane Sugar, Apple, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #40, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Pepsico, Inc — Wild Cherry Zero Sugar Cola, Wild Cherry
Aspartame, Caffeine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands — Banquet Brown N Serve Original Patties, 32 Oz
Pork, Turkey, Soybean, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Campbell Soup Company — V8 Beverage Carrot Mango
Carrot, Mango, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
General Mills Sales Inc. — Progresso Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Soybean, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 2 — Reintroduction |
|
Mondelez Int. Us (0074819091009) — Sour Patch Watermelon Soft Candy Watermelon Fat Free1x3.400 Oz
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Diet Coke Bottle, 3 Liters
Aspartame, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Caffeine
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Coca-cola Company-0049000000016 — Tum-e Yummies Fruit Punch Party Bottle, 10.1 Fl Oz
Corn, Fructose, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Victoria Fine Foods Llc — Victoria, Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
Solanine, Olive, Garlic, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Conagra Brands, Inc. — PINEAPPLE JUICY GELS, PINEAPPLE
Cane Sugar, Pineapple, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Stewed Tomatoes Original Recipe with Onions, Celery & Green Peppers
Tomato, Cane Sugar, Onion, Celery, Solanine, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Kraft Heinz Foods Company — BERRY LEMONADE FLAVORED LEMONADE STARTER DRINK MIX, BERRY LEMONADE
Cane Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid, Corn, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Del Monte Foods Inc. — Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Tomato, Fructose, Corn, Mushroom, Soybean, Onion, Carrot, Citric Acid, Garlic, MSG
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, LLC — LIME & SEA SALT FLAVORED TORTILLA CHIPS, LIME & SEA SALT
Corn, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Lime
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc. — SUNDRIED TOMATO BASIL HOMMUS, SUNDRIED TOMATO BASIL
Sunflower, Sesame, Tomato, Garlic, Citric Acid, Basil
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
The Minute Maid Company — Juice
Fructose, Corn, Apple, Pear, Grape, Pineapple, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mott's — Freezer Bars
Apple, Fructose, Corn, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. — MEDIUM SALSA, MEDIUM
Tomato, Chili Pepper, Onion, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mott's Llp — Watermelon Berry Boom Natural & Artificial Watermelon Berry Flavored Juice Drink, Watermelon Berry Boom
Fructose, Corn, Apple, Pineapple, Orange, Apricot, Papaya, Citric Acid
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
|
Mars, Inc. — 5 FLAVORS BIG RING CANDY GUMMIES, CHERRY, WATERMELON, GREEN APPLE, STRAWBERRY, BLACKBERRY
Cane Sugar, Corn, Citric Acid, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1
|
6 | Phase 3 — Practitioner Guided |
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