Common Uses of Citric Acid

August 13, 2024

Citric acid is an organic acid that is relatively weaker than other acids. Citric acid is an AHA, or Alpha hydroxy acid, with a hydroxyl group bonded alpha to the carboxylic acid. Other AHAs are lactic, glycolic acid, tartaric acid and so on. Citric acid granules can be classified according to their water content as monohydrate citric acid and anhydrous citric acid.

Citric Acid Functions

Citric acid powder has many functions. It acts as an acidulant, a buffer, and a flavor enhancer. It prevents bacterial growth, helps to protect color, and enhances sucrose conversion. Citric acid also has a chelating property by which one can remove some ions of some particular dangerous metals. Citric acid stops oxidation provoked by enzyme catalysis and metal catalysis, so it is impossible to spoil the color and taste of quick-frozen fruits.

Further reading: Is Citric Acid Bad for You?

The Most Common Uses of Citric Acid

Citric acid powder plays a role in a variety of industries including cosmetics, medicine and food and many others. We must elaborate more on citric acid usage.

Use of Citric Acid in the Food Industry

Citric acid is widely used in the field of food and beverages. Citric acid powder is applied in food processing due to its characteristics like high water solubility, sourness, fair taste, ability to act as a buffer, and no toxicity at high concentrations.

Beverages

Owing to its acidic, sour and mildly refreshing taste, citric acid is utilized in carbonated beverages, drinks, fruit juices, lactic acid drinks, pickled items, etc. Besides, citric acid is also a regulator of environmental acidity and an antioxidant agent in carbonated beverages, syrups, juices, teas, coffee, energy drinks, and even ice creams. Also, it regulates the pH of carbonated beverages.

Added in Canned Fruits and Vegetables

Citric acid is added to canned fruits and vegetables to prevent botulism – a rare but serious disease caused by the botulinum bacteria. Adding citric acid powder to canned fruit can maintain and improve its flavor, while increasing the acidity of some low-acidity fruits during the canning process, weakening the heat resistance of microbes, inhibiting their growth, and preventing bacterial swelling.
Likewise, some vegetables experience an alkaline reaction during the canning process. Citric acid used when added as a food additive assists in adjusting pH regulation, seasoning of the veggies and enhancing the quality of the canned veggies. As a result, using citric acid as food additive offers several benefits.

Use of Citric Acid in Candies

One of the most well-known uses of citric acid in the world of food and drinks is related to candies. In gel-based foods like soft candy and jellies, citric acid is used to neutralize the negative charge of pectin that results from its interaction with the food acids.

Antioxidants

Citric acid is also used as an additive in some fats, and frozen processed foods to increase the performance of antioxidants. In the case of frozen foods, fats, and oils are antioxidants and preservatives due to pH control and pH-dependent formation of a salt complex between citrates and trace metals. It extends frozen products’ shelf life.

Enhances Sensory Properties

Citric acid in food improves sensory qualities, creates appetite, and enhances the assimilation of substances of calcium and phosphorus in the human body.

Other Uses

Fortification with citrate granules, such as calcium citrate and ferric citrate, can incorporate calcium and iron ions into some food products. Similarly, citric acid esters, such as triethyl citrate, are used as non-toxic plasticizers to make plastic films for food packaging.

Use of Citric Acid in Food Preservation

Citric acid powder functions as a food acidulant. It is among the most used preservatives whose demand has been on an increase year after year. The acidic constituent in citric acid makes it hard for mold, bacteria, yeast, and fungi to survive. In the same way, its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties hinder the growth of microorganisms while also preventing oxidation.

Use of Citric Acid in the Water Treatment Industry

Citric acid functions as a sterilizing agent and regulates the pH value of water during the water treatment process. The acidity of citric acid can change the pH value of cells of bacteria and affect their natural metabolism. Likewise, the acidic high concentrations of hydrogen ions found in citric can change the biological activity of bacteria found in water and directly damage their cells.

Use of Citric Acid in Washing and Chemical Reagents

One of the most common uses of citric acid is in washing and chemical reagents in kitchens and bathrooms. Citric acid powder for cleaning is used in soaps and laundry detergents as water is softened by the acid. Citric acid or citrates can improve the performance of washing products, quickly precipitate metal ions, prevent pollutants from reattaching to fabrics, maintain the alkalinity necessary for washing, disperse and suspend dirt and ash, and bolster the performance of surfactants.

Use of Citric Acid in Cosmetics

Citric acid finds wide application in the cosmetic, skincare as well as hair care segments. Citric acid is added to sodium bicarbonate to form bath tablets and bath fizzes. It is also incorporated into some lotions creams and skin masks.
Citric acid can also help to erase and prevent skin pigmentation and is itself considered to be packed with pigmentation. Therefore, it is employed in cosmetic products to a very high degree. It is employed with shampoo for washing coloring agents from hair; citric acid is also used with soap for washing colors from fabrics.

Use of Citric Acid in Industries

The industrial uses of citric acid are many. It is primarily used in algicides, circuit boards, enhanced oil recovery, as a micronutrient for fertilizer, and more.

Use of Citric Acid in Livestock Additives

Feeding pigs with citric acid, pigs can wean earlier, enhance the feed conversion by 5 to 20% and increase the litter size of sows. Moreover, if growing and fattening pigs are administered 1 to 2 percent citric acid to their diet, there is a tendency that their daily weight gain will be higher than those not fed with citric acid, their feed-to-meat ratio will be lowered, protein digestion will be enhanced, meat quality, etc.

Use of Citric Acid in Medicine

Citric acid is used in medicines to help with the stabilization and preservation of the active constituents within the medicine. Citric acid helps to give a nice taste to chewable and syrupy products – medicines. Citrate with calcium ions produces a soluble combination that is difficult to dissolve, lowering blood calcium and delaying coagulation.

Use of Citric Acid in Sterilization

The use of citric acid as a disinfectant and sterilization agent is quite popular. When mixed with 80 degrees C, citric acid intensely destroys the bacterial spores. Citric acid has a hypertonic and comprehensive anti-bactericidal effect; it is a food-benevolent hygiene agent.

Conclusion

From the pharmaceutical sector to medicine and food and beverage industry, citric acid has relevance everywhere. This is an organic compound that is found in a lot of the things lying around in your kitchen and bathrooms. Citric acid is an excellent preservative and it is also used in skincare and cosmetics.

Mondstar is the leading citric acid supplier, offering a comprehensive range of high-quality solutions that enhance flavor and improve texture. Contact us for more information on citric acid.