What Is Citric Acid In?

If you think of lemons, limes and oranges when you hear of citric acid, you are absolutely correct. These fruits are good natural sources of citric acid. But don't confuse citric acid with vitamin C. It is a very important, versatile acid that is found in some of the most surprising places. For instance, citric acid can commonly be found in household cleaners, in the kitchen and many cosmetics. This natural acid is safe for the environment and is even produced in your body during the citric acid cycle. Citric acid is used so often that it is now produced commercially into a white powder by a fermentation process rather than using fruits that have a much lower percent yield.

Function

Citric acid is one of the major compounds in the production of energy in the cells of your body. The Krebs Cycle produces energy and helps to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats into carbon dioxide and water with the help of oxygen. Surprisingly, eating acidic foods does not make your body composition more acidic. Eating a plant-based diet, which includes citrus foods, actually makes the body less acidic, while meats and high protein foods tend to increase the body's acidity. Citric acid also functions as an antioxidant and preservative, a cleaning agent, a water softener, a stabilizer for fats and a natural exfoliator. When added to water, it chelates metals, making water softer.

Significance of Citric Acid in Food

Citric acid is naturally found in citrus fruits, pineapple and berries, with a high concentration in lemons and limes. It is used as a food additive to increase tartness, to adjust the acidity, to prevent oils from becoming rancid and to keep fats separate from each other in foods like ice cream. Putting lemon juice on fruit will help it from turning brown after being exposed to air. Citric acid is one of the most important and most prevalent food additives used today. Citric acid adds the sour flavor to lemonade, preserves the freshness of jams, jellies, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, is used in wine production, moderates the texture of meats and even functions as a protective agent against Clostridium botulinum bacteria and spores in canned foods.

Features of Citric Acid in Industry

Citric acid is considered an alpha hydroxy acid. The acid and its salts are often used in aftershave, baby shampoo, mascara and lipstick as well as many skin exfoliators and bath "fizzies." Citric acid is an environmentally neutral chelator of metals so it removes hard water stains and works well in laundry detergents and window cleaners. It is found in dietary supplements because it makes certain minerals more absorbable such as calcium citrate as an improved source of dietary calcium.

Warnings

Some people find citric acid to be irritating to their skin and GI tracts, and the powder can be irritating to the respiratory tract. In addition, the Academy of General Dentistry found that the citric acid found in soft drinks, in particular non-cola drinks, can be erosive to tooth enamel. Drinking soda from a straw may be a good way to get around this problem.

Considerations

Most of the citric acid produced today comes from a mold called Aspergillus niger which is fed a sugar such as molasses, which then creates citric acid in large quantities. People with mold allergies may discover they are allergic to the manufactured citric acid powder but may not have a citrus allergy or intolerance to the fruit juice.