It’s added to medicines to help stabilize and preserve the active ingredients and used to enhance or mask the taste of chewable and syrup-based medications ( 6). Medicines and dietary supplementsĬitric acid is an industrial staple in medicines and dietary supplements. It’s also sometimes added to canned fruits and vegetables to protect against botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by the toxin-producing Clostridium botulinum bacterium. Sodas, juices, powdered beverages, candies, frozen foods, and some dairy products often contain manufactured citric acid. It’s used to boost acidity, enhance flavor, and preserve ingredients ( 5). Manufactured citric acid is one of the most common food additives in the world. The characteristics of citric acid make it an important additive for a variety of industries.įood and beverages use an estimated 70% of manufactured citric acid, pharmaceutical and dietary supplements use 20%, and the remaining 10% goes into cleaning agents ( 4). Other fruits that contain much smaller amounts of it include certain berries, cherries, and tomatoes.

Lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits are the predominant natural sources of citric acid.

This is because producing this additive from citrus fruits is too expensive, and the demand far exceeds the supply. The citric acid listed in the ingredients of foods and supplements is manufactured - not what’s naturally found in citrus fruits ( 4). While not naturally occurring, citric acid is also a byproduct of cheese, wine, and sourdough bread production. These include:īeverages or food products that contain these fruits - such as ketchup in the case of tomatoes - also contain citric acid. Other fruits also contain citric acid but in lesser amounts. In fact, the word citric originates from the Latin word citrus ( 2). Citrus fruits and their juices are the best natural sources of citric acid ( 3).

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