Is citric acid safe? How it's made, where it's allowed, and what it's in
Where citric acid is allowed
United States
PermittedListed in 21 CFR 184.1033 as a direct food ingredient affirmed as generally recognized as safe, used in food with no limitations other than current good manufacturing practice, and required to meet Food Chemicals Codex specifications. [1]
Canada
PermittedPermitted as an acidity regulator on Health Canada's list (item C.16), mostly at good manufacturing practice levels in foods such as jams, canned fruit and vegetables, tomato products, beer and wine, with a 1.0% limit (fat-free basis) for cocoa products. [2]
European Union
PermittedAuthorised as E330 in Group I of Annex II (Part C) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 at 'quantum satis', meaning no numerical maximum, used at no more than needed for the purpose and without misleading the consumer. [3]
What is citric acid?
Citric acid is an organic acid, chemically 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid. The FDA describes it as a naturally occurring constituent of plant and animal tissues that comes as colorless crystals or a white powder. The FDA's regulation lists several ways of producing it: recovery from sources such as lemon or pineapple juice, fermentation using Candida, and solvent extraction from the liquid left after fermenting with the mold Aspergillus niger.
The short version on the mold: it is the production tool, not the ingredient. What goes into food is the purified acid, which the FDA's rule requires to meet Food Chemicals Codex specifications. Citric acid is also not vitamin C; that is ascorbic acid, listed under its own number (E300) in the EU.
Why it's used, and where you'll find it
Food makers use citric acid to control acidity; Health Canada lists its purpose as 'acidity regulator'. In cosmetics, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel reports that it works as a pH adjuster, a chelating agent (it binds metal ions) or a fragrance ingredient.
What the research and regulators say
What food-safety bodies say about intake
The international expert committee on food additives (JECFA) set an acceptable daily intake of 'not limited' for citric acid and its calcium, potassium, sodium and ammonium salts as a group in 1973, and looked at citric acid again in 2014 for its specifications only. [4]
The mold question
A 2002 scientific review concluded that Aspergillus niger is a safe production organism with restrictions. It noted that A. niger has produced citric acid and food enzymes for decades, that ochratoxin A is its only metabolite that counts as a true mycotoxin, and that only 3 to 10% of the strains examined for ochratoxin A tested positive under favorable conditions, so new isolates should be checked. The sources reviewed for this page describe strain screening, purification and specifications, not residue measurements in finished citric acid. [1, 5]
Acidic drinks and teeth
Citric acid is one of the acids in many drinks and foods. A 2020 systematic review of dietary acids and dental erosion in adolescents found that the most consistent findings implicated carbonated drinks and acidic drinks at bedtime, but results were not consistent between cohort and cross-sectional studies and better cohort studies were called for. It examined dietary acids in general, not citric acid alone. [6]
Use in cosmetics
In 2014 the CIR Expert Panel concluded that citric acid and the related citrate salts and esters it reviewed are safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics, focusing on skin exposure because citric acid is generally recognized as safe as a direct food additive. [7]
Who might choose to avoid it
Few groups have a well-supported reason to avoid citric acid. Because one review suggests that carbonated and acidic drinks, especially at bedtime, may contribute to dental erosion in adolescents, some people choose to limit those drinks, though that review concerned dietary acids in general, not citric acid alone.
How to spot it on a label
On ingredient lists it appears as 'citric acid', or 'E330' in the EU. Its salts are separate entries such as 'sodium citrate' (E331) and 'potassium citrate' (E332), and vitamin C is 'ascorbic acid' (E300). In cosmetics the name is 'Citric Acid'.
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Frequently asked questions
Is citric acid vitamin C?
No. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, which the EU lists as E300, while citric acid is E330. They are different substances, though lemon juice is one source from which citric acid can be recovered.
Is citric acid made from mold?
It can be. The FDA's regulation describes recovery of citric acid by solvent extraction from the liquid left after fermenting with the mold Aspergillus niger; it can also be made by fermentation with Candida or recovered from lemon or pineapple juice. What goes into food is the purified acid.
Is citric acid bad for you?
JECFA gave citric acid an acceptable daily intake of 'not limited', and the US, Canada and EU permit it without a numerical cap in most uses. One concern raised in research is dental erosion: a 2020 systematic review suggested that carbonated drinks and acidic drinks at bedtime may contribute to it in adolescents, though it looked at dietary acids in general, not citric acid alone.
Is citric acid banned in Europe?
No. The EU authorises it as E330 at 'quantum satis', meaning there is no numerical maximum and it is used at no more than needed for the purpose.
Is citric acid natural?
Citric acid occurs naturally in plant and animal tissues, the FDA says. The citric acid added to packaged foods can be recovered from juices such as lemon or pineapple or produced by fermentation, so it is the same compound found in fruit but not necessarily squeezed from fruit.
What is citric acid used for?
In food it controls acidity; Health Canada lists it as an acidity regulator. In cosmetics the CIR Expert Panel reports uses as a pH adjuster, chelating agent or fragrance ingredient.
Related ingredients
Sources
- eCFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations) — 21 CFR 184.1033 - Citric acid (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Health Canada — 10. List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials (Lists of Permitted Food Additives) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (version of 18.08.2026) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- WHO / FAO JECFA — Citric acid (JECFA food additives database) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- PubMed / Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology — On the safety of Aspergillus niger--a review (accessed 2026-09-19)
- PubMed / International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry — A systematic review of dietary acids and habits on dental erosion in adolescents (accessed 2026-09-19)
- PubMed / International Journal of Toxicology (CIR) — Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics (accessed 2026-09-19)
This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.