Citric acid is a naturally occuring chemical which is found in citrus fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and more, with lemons having the largest concentration. However, for industrial purposes (like manufacturing processed foods), it is also produced artificially in large quantities in various forms like powder. But that is not all. This chemical finds application in other industries products as well including nutritional supplements as well as cleaning products. Because it is also widely manufactured, its characteristics are largely different from the naturally occurring kind, raising questions about it being suitable for consumption.

How Is Citric Acid Derived

Citric acid can be naturally or artificially sourced from various sources including the following:

• In natural form, it is derived from lemons, limes, tangerines , pineapples, tomatoes, broccoli, grapefruits, berries, carrots, pomelos, cherries, and oranges. The diverse kinds and species of all these foods can have different concentrations of the acid. Beyond these direct sources it can also be found (in natural form) in food products which are made using any of the abovementioned foods. Moreover, it can also be found as a byproduct of cheese, sourdough bread, or wine, even though it may not naturally occur in these foods.
• In its artificial or synthetic form, it can be derived from a fungus known as Aspergillus Niger (also known as black mold). When artificially created, the product is known as manufactured citric acid and is made typically to be used as a food additive. However, it can also be used in other non-food industries. Artificially created citric acid powder or other forms of it, tend to have an identical chemical formula to naturally derived citric acid.

So why is it sometimes considered harmful?

This is because artificially derived citric acid can sometimes contain specks or leftovers of black mold if not processed properly, which can lead to allergies, or other, very serious issues if consumed.

Uses Of Citric Acid

There are a myriad of uses of citric acid in key industries including food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medicines, nutritional supplements, disinfectants, and cleaners.

Among these various industries, the food and beverage industry utilizes the maximum amount of artificially manufactured citric acid. This is because the chemical plays a pivotal role as a food additive used in a variety of snacks, drinks, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals, bakery products, and more. This chemical is so popular among processed foods primarily because it is capable of enhancing the flavor profile of the foods by a lot. It can regulate the acidity of the foods, and is also useful for preserving the ingredients, ensuring that the shelf life of the foods is boosted.

Another reason why this is so popular compared to many other types of food additives is because when added to canned veggies and fruits, it can protect consumers against botulism which can be caused by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium.

Benefits Of Citric Acid

There are numerous benefits which are offered by citric acid which make it quite safe to consume. However, it is essential to ensure that products that have gone bad are disposed of to avoid any side effects. The following are its key features which make it safe to consume in limited quantities (especially for artificially manufactured form)

• Energy Metabolizing: Due to the formation of citrate, which is the primary molecule formed during the process of citric acid cycle, helps the consumer’s body turn food into energy. This cycle, which is also known as the Krebs cycle, plays an important role in boosting energy in the body, and provides the majority of energy that people expend.
• Boosts Nutrient Absorption Capacity: Citric acid makes it simpler for certain complex nutrients to be absorbed by the body which would otherwise be quite hard to be absorbed. Because of its acidic nature, it does not require a large amount of stomach acids for absorption, making them the better choice. This is especially because of the simple fact that the body absorbs different chemicals differently.
• Good For The Skin: Another major advantage provided by citric acid is that it offers tremendous skin benefits like reducing the appearance of fine lines, evening out skin tone, and more. This is because citric acid acts like AHA which helps in benefiting the skin and overall health of consumers. Because of these advantages, it is added in a range of products including food items, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, medical products, and cosmetics.

Risks Associated With Citric Acid Consumption

Despite its advantages, there are also a few drawbacks to consuming artificially produced citric acid (in any form). However, these risks are occasional, meaning that some people might experience them, even though they might not be very commonly experienced by consumers at large.

Some of the most prominent issues include sickness and allergies due to consumption of products containing these artificial food additives.

A few cases have reported experiencing stiffness along with stomach pain, muscular pain, pain in the joints, and even swelling and breathing troubles. When compared to the consumption of natural citric acid, the latter showed no occurrence of such symptoms. This indicates that artificial forms of this chemical can have very severe issues in certain people, particularly those that are allergic.

Whereas it has not been definitively proven that the artificial citric acid itself was responsible for such ailments, speculations largely focus on the fact that there can be mold growth in this product which leads to the instances of illnesses by consumption of products which contain it. This, however, does not point to manufactured forms always containing mold.

Conclusion

In summation, citric acid is a very commonly used chemical which offers diverse applications for various industries, making it a go-to choice for industrial manufacturers. Within the food sector, it is among the most popular food additives due to its ability to preserve food and ingredients, making the food shelf stable for longer periods. In its natural form, it offers nothing but benefits, however, in manufactured form, it can lead to problems, which makes it essential for consumers to be vigilant when consuming products that contain it in any amount.