E330 - Citric acid

At a glance

• E-number: E330; common name: citric acid
• Main roles: acidity regulator, flavoring acid, and metal-binding “sequestrant”
• Common in soft drinks, candies, jams, canned tomatoes, and many shelf-stable foods
• Often paired with antioxidants like ascorbic acid
• Available as anhydrous or monohydrate crystals; dissolves easily in water
• Approved for use in the U.S. and EU within good manufacturing practice
• Generally recognized as safe when used as intended

Why is citric acid added to food?

Food makers use citric acid to add a clean, lemon-like sourness and to set or stabilize pH, which supports taste, texture, and shelf life. It also acts as a “sequestrant,” meaning it binds trace metals (like iron or copper) that can speed up browning, color loss, or off-flavors in foods and beverages.¹ These properties help keep fruit products bright, beverages crisp, and fats and oils from going rancid as quickly.

What foods contain citric acid?

Citric acid shows up across many categories: soft drinks and flavored waters, candies and gummies, jams and jellies, canned tomatoes and vegetables, fruit preps and fillings, dressings and sauces, and some dairy and plant-based products. In the EU it appears on labels as E330 and is authorized in numerous food categories under the food additive rules.²

What can replace citric acid?

Depending on the job, manufacturers may choose:

• For sourness or pH control: malic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, or phosphoric acid in some beverages
• For buffering and mild tartness: sodium citrate, potassium citrate, or calcium citrate
• For preservation systems: pair acids with preservatives such as sorbic acid or sodium benzoate
• For metal control (sequestration): calcium disodium EDTA in applications where permitted

How is citric acid made?

Today, most food-grade citric acid is produced by fermenting sugar solutions with the microorganism Aspergillus niger, then purifying the product. Recovery typically involves forming insoluble calcium citrate and converting it back to citric acid, yielding either anhydrous or monohydrate crystals that meet purity standards.³

Is citric acid safe to eat?

In the United States, citric acid is affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) when used in line with good manufacturing practice.³ In the European Union, it is an authorized additive (E330) with established specifications and permitted uses under the food additive regulation.²

Does citric acid have any benefits?

Lowering and controlling pH helps limit microbial growth and enzyme activity, which can support quality and shelf life. As a sequestrant, citric acid ties up trace metals that can trigger oxidation, helping protect flavor, color, and nutrients such as delicate oils or fruit pigments.¹ It also complements antioxidants like ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate in many formulas.

Who should avoid citric acid?

Most people tolerate citric acid well when it is used as intended in foods. Those with very sensitive mouths, reflux that is worsened by acidic foods, or advice from a healthcare professional to limit dietary acids may choose to reduce intake of highly acidic products. If you react to a product containing citric acid, consult a healthcare professional.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Citric acid is just Vitamin C.”
  Fact: Vitamin C is ascorbic acid; citric acid is a different compound with different roles.
• Myth: “Food citric acid is squeezed from lemons.”
  Fact: Most food-grade citric acid is made by fermentation of sugars, then purified to high standards.
• Myth: “Citric acid is unsafe because it comes from ‘black mold.’”
  Fact: A microbe (Aspergillus niger) performs the fermentation, but the final food additive is purified citric acid that meets strict specifications.
• Myth: “Citric acid is only a flavoring.”
  Fact: It also regulates pH and binds metals (sequestrant), helping protect color and flavor over time.

Citric acid in branded foods

You can spot citric acid on ingredient lists as “citric acid” or “E330” (in the EU). It often appears near acids, salts, or antioxidants—think acids in drinks and candies for sourness, or in canned and shelf-stable foods to help retain color and flavor. If you are tracking intake, check labels on beverages, sweets, sauces, dressings, and fruit-based products.

References

Footnotes

1. 21 CFR 170.3 — Definitions of food additive functional effects (e.g., acidulant, sequestrant) — U.S. FDA/eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-170#170.3 ↩ ↩²

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩ ↩²

3. 21 CFR 184.1033 — Citric acid (GRAS; identity and manufacturing) — U.S. FDA/eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-184/section-184.1033 ↩ ↩²