Citric Acid: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Cost, and Side Effects

It is basically a sour-tasting compound that is found naturally in citrus fruits; lemons, grapefruits, limes, and oranges are among its most common sources. Citric acid is also manufactured in factories to be used as an additive. This form of citric acid can be commonly found in processed foods, disinfectants, nutritional supplements, and cleaning agents, among others.

In chemical terms, it is a tricarboxylic acid with a cyclic chemical structure, meaning one of the carbonyl groups is linked to the carboxyl group, and all three are attached to the same carbon atom. Citric acid is an organic compound made up of hydroxycarboxylic acids with HOC(CH2CO2H)2 as its chemical formula. That said, you must know that the manufactured form of citric acid is significantly different from what can be found naturally in citrus fruits.

Citric acid is mostly used as a preservative as well as a flavoring agent, especially in some popular beverages and sweets, predominantly owing to its acidic, sour-tasting nature. Also, citric acid has a number of other different uses, such as stabilizing or preserving medicines, as well as acting as a disinfectant.Furthermore, it must be mentioned that Swedish-German pharmaceutical chemist and researcher Carl Wilhelm Scheele first extracted citric acid from lemon juice in 1784. Later, researchers in the early 1900s discovered that citric acid could be extracted not only from lemon juice but also from black mold, Aspergillus niger, which is a haploid filamentous fungus.

Citric acid may be used for a multitude of purposes, some of which include:

• Acting as a food additive
  Citric acid is commonly used as a flavoring agent or preservative in processed foods, such as soft drinks, sweets, or candies. It can also be put to use as an emulsifier in some ice cream (or other similar) products.Citric acid is known for its sour taste, which is why it is often used in sour candies. In fact, the white powder that is sometimes seen on the outside of sour candy is citric acid.
• Being used in cleansing and cosmetic products
  Citric acid is one of the most effective chelating agents for removing limescale from boilers and evaporators. It is also used in soaps and laundry detergents to soften water. Some household cleaners also contain citric acid to help clean and deodorize surfaces.
• Acting as a water softener
  As an organic acid, citric acid has chelating and buffering properties that make it an effective water softener. It breaks down trace quantities of metal in water, making it a good choice for hard water treatment. For this purpose, it is most commonly used in detergents and some other cleaning products.
• Serving various industrial purposes
  Citric acid has a wide range of industrial uses, including detergent manufacturing, electroplating, and leather tanning. It is also used as a preservative for stored blood, a buffer, and an antioxidant in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In fact, several fungal-derived acids (including citric acid) have significant commercial value and have found applications in the food, feed manufacturing, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and polymer industries.

Citric acid, which is in the form of a white powder, is most often used to give beverages and food a sour or tangy taste. It also acts as a preservative because it makes products more acidic and, therefore, prevents bacteria growth that causes food to rot or spoil. Moreover, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), citric acid is generally recognized as safe as a food additive, which makes it safe and reliable to use even in edibles.

Natural Sources:

Citrus fruits are undoubtedly the best and most trusted sources of citric acid found in nature. In fact, the word 'citric' is derived from the Latin word 'citron,' which means a large, fragrant citrus fruit resembling a lemon. Some of the most sought-after natural citric acid sources include:

• Lemons
• Limes
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Cherries
• Raspberries
• Pomelos
• Cranberries
• Grapefruit
• Strawberries

For those looking for a more potent source of citric acid, consider these fruits as well:

• Pineapples
• Coconuts
• Tomatoes

Artificial Sources:

Even though citric acid is found naturally in citrus fruits, it can also be derived from synthetic or artificial sources. This process can be carried out mostly with the help of chemical reactions or microbial fermentation.

That said, it is important to understand that citric acid is first and foremost a naturally occurring preservative or component that is mainly found in citrus fruits. In fact, this acid is what gives these (citrus) fruits their acidic and tart taste.

Commercially, it is used as an additive in food and beverages (70%), the pharmaceutical and supplement industries (20%), and cleaning agents (10%). Furthermore, it must be noted that the citric acid that's added to many common household items is artificial. This includes food and drinks, medications, personal care products, and cleaning products, among others.

• Citric acid helps preserve numerous food items and keeps them from being spoiled or wasted
• It is an extraordinary preservative that may help keep cosmetics or other similar products fresh and usable for longer periods of timeCitric acid has been shown to have protective effects in the body
• It can kill harmful bacteria and lower the acidity of urine
• It is often used in medicine
• Citric acid is a great natural way to remove limescale build-up or tough stains
• Citric acid is known to enhance nutrient absorption, making it an essential ingredient for many dietary supplements
• It aids in the energy metabolism of the body
• It may help prevent kidney stones and maintain renal health

The FDA has ruled that citric acid is generally safe to use in food and skin products, but some experts believe that more research is needed to be certain in this regard. That said, the overuse of citric acid may cause:

• Skin irritation
• Upset stomach
• Tooth problems
• Allergic reactions
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Fatigue
• Citric acid recipes

Citric acid can be used in a huge variety of recipes and preparations, some of which are as follows:

• Homemade mozzarella
• Lemon cordial
• Cherry cola
• Sweets and candies
• Fruit jellies
• Mock champagne

Citric acid is basically a sour-tasting compound that is found naturally in citrus fruits; lemons, grapefruits, limes, and oranges are among its most common sources. When used in the form of a food additive, it acts as an antioxidant, preservative, and flavoring agent. One of the most common uses for citric acid is flavoring drinks such as lemon juice, orange juice, and club soda.

You may also find citric acid used as an acidulant in salad dressings, as well as in jams and jellies and as a leavening agent in baked goods. It is important to note that citric acid is different from ascorbic acid and is not the same thing as vitamin C.Furthermore, we hope that this article has helped you learn more about citric acid and its uses. You can share some of the things you learned in this article with your friends and family so that they can benefit from the same information. If you still have any unanswered questions or queries about this article, please feel free to write them to us!