Purpose / Use

Citric acid is used for a variety of purposes in food and beverages including as a preservative, flavoring agent, acidulant (pH adjuster), solvent, and chelating agent (binds metal ions).¹

Products

Citric acid is naturally found in plants (including citrus fruits) and is produced as part of normal metabolic processes in the human body.^2,3 It is also added to a wide range of products including condiments, sauces, drinks, snacks, canned vegetables, cheese and prepared foods. The USDA FoodData Central - Branded Foods Database lists over 100,000 products in the U.S. containing citric acid.

Safety assessment

Citric acid is commercially produced for use in food by extracting it from natural sources like lemon (or other citrus fruits) or by fermentation.² The World Health Organization (WHO) has long considered citric acid safe for use in foods³ and the FDA affirmed it as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a food ingredient in 1994.⁴

References

1. US Food and Drug Administration. Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS). Citric Acid. https://hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FoodSubstances&id=CITRICACID&sort=Sortterm_ID&order=ASC&startrow=1&type=basic&search=citric%20acid
2. US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 184.1033. Citric Acid.
3. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Citric acid and its calcium, potassium and sodium salts (WHO Food Additives Series 5). World Health Organization. International Programme on Chemical Safety. 1974.
4. US Food and Drug Administration. 59 Federal Register. 237. Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Derivatives; Affirmation of GRAS Status as Direct Human Food Ingredients. Available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1994/12/12/94-30496/citric-acid-and-certain-citrate-derivatives-affirmation-of-gras-status-as-direct-human-food

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