E330Antioxidant · Sequestrant
Citric acid
What the research shows
PrototypeConcerning
in animal and lab studies only
1 of 2 health findings on this page · See the findings
A colorless weak organic acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits.
Written from English Wikipedia1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Animal and lab studies only
-
Benefit
Iron absorption from food3
In lab studies, citric acid helped iron from blood clam proteins get taken up by cells.
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Concern
Tooth enamel erosion4
In lab studies, citric acid soft drinks softened tooth enamel, but some added food polymers seemed to form a protective layer.
Study type not stated
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Open question
Food industry uses2
Citric acid is used widely in food and other industries, and scientists say much about it is still unexplored.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 184.1033
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European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Other Accepted Uses
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 112,190 products on Open Food Facts that list citric acid.
- Cappy PULPY Coca cola · 1 L 9 additives
- Mayonnaise recette originale Star · 280 ml 17 dh 5 additives
- Confiture d'abricot Delicia · 430 1 additive
- Granola L'Original LU · 200 g e 5 additives
- Natur mit Kokosnuss alpro · 0,5 kg 4 additives
- Momo black Excelo · 36 g 6 additives
References
- 1Citric acid. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
- 2Książek E. Citric Acid: Properties, Microbial Production, and Applications in Industries. Molecules. 2023;29(1). doi:10.3390/molecules29010022
- 3Sun B, Tan B, Sun N, et al. Effect of ascorbic acid and citric acid on bioavailability of iron from Tegillarca granosa via an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture system. Food Funct. 2021;12(22):11491-11502. doi:10.1039/d1fo01650d
- 4Beyer M, Reichert J, Heurich E, Jandt KD, Sigusch BW. Pectin, alginate and gum arabic polymers reduce citric acid erosion effects on human enamel. Dent Mater. 2010;26(9):831-9. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2010.04.008