When you see “citric acid” on a food label, you might assume it’s from natural sources like lemons and limes.
However, most citric acid used in processed foods and beverages is manufactured citric acid (MCA)—a synthetic version produced using Aspergillus niger, a strain of black mold.
You read that right – black mold.
While food manufacturers insist MCA is safe, emerging research suggests it may contribute to inflammation, joint pain, and digestive issues in some individuals.
What is Manufactured Citric Acid (MCA)?
Citric acid naturally occurs in citrus fruits, giving them their tart taste.
But producing citric acid from fruit is expensive, so in 1919, food manufacturers discovered a cheaper method: fermenting sugars with Aspergillus niger.
This mold-based fermentation process produces MCA, which is then added to countless foods, beverages, and supplements.
MCA is used for preserving freshness, enhancing flavors, and adjusting acidity in processed foods.
While its molecular structure is the same as natural citric acid, MCA may contain residual mold proteins or other byproducts that could trigger inflammation in sensitive individuals.
Potential Health Concerns of Manufactured Citric Acid
A study published in Toxicology Reports examined four individuals who experienced significant inflammatory reactions after consuming foods containing MCA.
Their symptoms included:
✅ Joint pain and swelling
✅ Fatigue and brain fog
✅ Digestive issues like bloating and cramps
✅ Respiratory symptoms
These individuals noticed immediate symptom relief after removing MCA from their diets.
While more research is needed, this study raises concerns about whether long-term, repeated exposure to MCA could trigger chronic inflammation in some people.
How to Avoid Manufactured Citric Acid in Your Diet
Since food labels don’t distinguish between natural and manufactured citric acid, you must assume that all listed “citric acid” is the manufactured version.
Here are some common foods that often contain MCA:
🚨 Jarred pasta sauces (except brands like Rao’s)
🚨 Canned beans (except brands like some of the Whole Foods 365 line of canned beans)
🚨 Electrolyte powders and flavored waters
🚨 Canned sodas and energy drinks
🚨 Prepackaged hummus and dressings
Better Alternatives to Citric Acid-Containing Foods
Instead of consuming foods with MCA, opt for brands that avoid it.
Here are a few examples:
✔ Pasta Sauce: Rao’s (does not list citric acid on label)
✔ Canned Tomatoes: Cento brand (Italy-produced versions do not list citric acid)
✔ Canned Beans: Whole Foods 365 and Trader Joe’s (they do not list citric acid)
When grocery shopping, read ingredient labels carefully and choose foods with simple, recognizable ingredients.
Fresh, whole foods are always a great option.
Final Thoughts
While not everyone reacts negatively to manufactured citric acid, it’s important to be informed about what you’re putting in your body.
If you struggle with inflammation, joint pain, or unexplained digestive issues, consider eliminating MCA for a few weeks and observing how you feel.
Small dietary changes can have a big impact on your health.
By choosing whole, minimally processed foods, you can reduce exposure to questionable additives and support your body’s ability to heal and thrive.
I’m curious – leave a comment if you were already aware of this or if this is new news for you.
-Caitlin
Thank you for your article on manufactured citric acid. I am learning a lot about reading labels. Some labels list Caressa root as their citric acid. Do you know if citric acid in the form of Caressa root is safe?
Hi – I’m glad it was helpful. I’m not familiar with caressa root. Do you have a photo of a food label listing that as an ingredient?
I appreciate your article because I have been sensitive to citric acid added to Foods for some time. This explains the difference between added citric acid and citric acid naturally occurring in some fruit which does not bother me. My sensitivity, however, was not mentioned, I tend to get a very sore throat for several days after eating citric acid added to food. I just read that organic growers are starting to use citric acid in growing plants. I am very concerned about this and how it will affect my throat. I discovered it by muscle testing the ingredients of a vegetable dish I ate that mysteriously caused a sore throat. The vegetable that came up positive was bell pepper. I searched on line to see if the pepper might have been treated with citric acid and discovered that many vegetables might be grown with citric acid. Do you have any information on whether growing vegetables using citric acid has the same effect as adding it to a processed product?
Thank you for your comment. I’m not aware of any research about what you mentioned, but it seems that if they’re using manufactured citric acid to grow vegetables, that yes, it would transfer into the vegetable itself, so that may be another area to be cautious with if you’re sensitive to mold/manufactured citric acid. Vegetables obtain natural citric acid through their natural metabolic processes and from the soil. I’m not aware that farmer’s and food growers are adding manufactured citric acid to their produce for it to grow, though.
Citric Acid triggers my migraines every time. If I don’t mistakenly eat it I don’t get migraines. It’s the only trigger.
I’m sorry you experience migraines but glad to know you’re aware of your trigger. Is it all citric acid (even natural from lemons, limes, etc.?) or just manufactured citric acid grown on mold?
Thank you for taking the time to post this information. I have a little more info on the subject and would like to share. Please read with some patience. There is more about MCA further down.
I have exhibited severe reactions to mold in food products beginning with premature birth (3 months) and being declared deceased shortly after birth (peanut butter is mom’s favorite and it contains alot of mold).
Alot of foods are contaminated with mold and cause a wide array of reactions in my body. Moldy grains fed to farm animals affect me similarly to having a very small dose of penicilin. Body-wide rashes, inflamation and itching. I cannot eat beef, chicken or eggs because of this.
During my time in the army I did not exhibit any adverse reactions to the food I ate and I could run 2 miles in under 14 minutes (no asthma). There are many more dangers to ingesting mold which doctors and other health professionals would not convey to me or my mother.
I have a list of about 50 items doctors say I should not eat, none of which actually affect me. However, when these items are allowed to sit while awaiting sale to food manufacturers they grow mold. This mold is not dealt with. It goes into the foods we eat everyday.
About a year ago I began having issues with brain fog and dyslexia. It was interrupting my work. I am an electronics, mechanical and electro-mechanical engineer. I also write software using more than a dozen languages and technologies. Brain fog and dyslexia cannot be allowed to affect me.
Doctors wanted to ‘desensitize’ my body. I was not happy to hear that the only solution was to purposely poison me to the point of removing my built in alert system that I’m being poisoned.
This prompted me to look for the answers myself, because penicilin was identified by doctors and the common knowledge that it is derrived from mold, I tested many many foods ,candies, juices and other drinks with mold test kits and sent them in to be analyzed by the test kit manufacturer. The reports returned identified 2 types of mold. One responsible for asthma and the other responsible for brain fog (used to make ‘citric acid’).
Now I am able to accurately explain many aspects of my life. Being affected by mold and MCA. These aspects include unexplained anger, brain fog, asthma, swelling/itching in various locations on my body and varying degrees to full onset of anaphylaxis.
I must avoid 80% or more of the food products sold in grocery stores because manufacturing processes do not address the mold contaminants. Also because of the addition of MCA.
I have struggled my entire life with behavior issues due to the repeated poisoning of my body. This resulted in being removed from my home because of physical abuse caused by my behavior (my bones were broken and i was beaten to within inches of my life regularly). It gets worse but I think my point is clear.
Beers and whiskeys are also loaded with mold. Workers at distilleries must wear a breathing aparatus when cleaning the storage bays for wheat, hops and other raw ingredients regularly.
Fruit juices are made with last grade fruit (cannot be sold individually or in packages because of appearance and condition).
This fruit is scooped up from the ground and pressed into juice. It is rotton, moldy and trampled upon by boots and machinery.
A 1/4 glass of orange juice will cause varying grades of anaphylaxis for me. Grape, grapefruit, tomato, vegetable, cranberry and other juices as well.
MCA is no exception and it is in everything. One half handful of skittles candy or a can of fruit cocktail will cause my eyes to swell shut with severe facial rashes.
The past year of my life has been so wonderful. I have learned how to stay away from mold (and MCA) and for once am thriving running my own repair business.
Please share with your readers as some of them really need to know what is happening to their bodies and why their behaviors may not be optimal. It saddens me to think people are being jailed because their behavior as a result of this poisoning.
Thank you for posting some of the dangers of MCA.
I did not know mold causes some of the issues you describe as I havent experienced them personally; but then maybe I was distracted by more severe reactions.
I agree good nutrition is very important for a happy, healthy and thriving body.
Keep up the amazing work.
– Chris
Chris, Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so sorry you experienced such hardship due to these sensitivities and reactions. I’m glad you have uncovered what can be causing a lot of these reactions. It’s so important to stay aware and keep educating ourselves. You are the one who knows your body best so experts should always honor that. I wish you well and continued health and success in your repair business!
Both Rao sauce and Cento canned tomato’s do list citric acid on he labels for those items on Amazon (maybe only sold in USA?)
Hi – I’m not seeing that when I check on Amazon or in-store. Thank you for your comment. It’s always best to check and keep checking!
Hi, I am aware of this issue but can you clarify your listing of canned beans as containing citric acid – do you mean it is only the two brands that you named – or do you mean that there are others that also do not list citric acid in the ingredients? Incidentally, you say that Aspergillisniger is a black mold but my research shows that its only its mycotoxins it produces that are the black mold. To make things worse for all this – I read that the it is also derided from GMO corn. Nice, huh?
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
On the canned beans question: In the post I mention that some brands of canned beans do not list citric acid as an ingredient — specifically Whole Foods 365 and Trader Joe’s as examples I’ve personally verified. This is not an exhaustive list, and many other canned bean brands do include citric acid. The takeaway is always to read the ingredient label on whatever brand you’re buying, as formulations can vary even within the same brand depending on the product line.
On Aspergillus niger and “black mold”: Aspergillus niger is technically classified as a black mold due to the dark pigmentation of its spores — that’s the basis for the common description. However, it is not the same species as Stachybotrys chartarum, which is the notorious household “toxic black mold” most people picture. The concern with A. niger in MCA production isn’t primarily its mycotoxins in isolation, but rather the potential for residual proteins and byproducts from the fermentation process to remain in the final product — which the 2018 University of Illinois at Chicago case series in Toxicology Reports hypothesized may trigger inflammatory responses in sensitive individuals.
On GMO corn: The 2018 study notes that nearly all MCA production begins with highly processed glucose derived predominantly from corn syrup — and yes, the vast majority of that corn in the U.S. is genetically modified. So for those concerned about both mold sensitivity and GMO ingredients, MCA presents a compounded concern.
I’m a dietitian, not a toxicologist, and much of what I share on this topic comes from that published case series, my clinical observations with patients, and personal experience. The research in this area is still limited, which is part of why I think conversations like this one matter.
How does a person find citric acid to buy to use for canning that is safe?
Thank you for asking this — canning safety is really important.
For safe home canning, I would follow tested canning guidance first. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends either bottled lemon juice or citric acid for acidifying tomatoes: 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice or ½ tsp citric acid per quart, and half that amount for pints. Bottled lemon juice is often the easiest alternative because it has standardized acidity, unlike fresh lemon juice.
Most powdered citric acid sold today is manufactured through fermentation, commonly using Aspergillus niger, and it may be hard to confirm a truly non–Aspergillus-derived source unless the manufacturer provides that information. The FDA lists citric acid as generally recognized as safe for food use, but people who personally react to manufactured citric acid may prefer to use bottled lemon juice or 5% vinegar when allowed by a tested recipe.
My suggestion: choose a tested recipe from Ball, USDA/NCHFP, or your state extension service, and use the acid option they list. If you are sensitive to manufactured citric acid, bottled lemon juice may be the safest and easiest choice for canning.