C6H8O7, a weak organic acid with three carboxyl groups, which is exactly why it's such a capable chelating agent, each of those three groups can grab onto a metal ion. At room temperature it's a white crystalline solid or a clear liquid once dissolved, odorless, with the sharp sour taste you already know from lemons and limes, since citrus fruit is loaded with the stuff naturally, lemon juice alone runs 7 to 9% citric acid. Most of what's sold commercially today, including what's in this category, is produced by fermenting sugar with a specific mold rather than squeezed from fruit, which is a cheaper and more consistent process at scale. It's also biodegradable and recognized as GRAS, generally recognized as safe, by the FDA for food use.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Acidulant and flavor enhancer in soft drinks, juices and candy. Preservative and antioxidant that stabilizes canned and frozen foods and prevents browning in wine and cider. pH adjuster in jams, jellies and gelatin desserts. Natural descaling agent for coffee makers, kettles, dishwashers and industrial boiler and steam systems, where its chelating action dissolves mineral scale more effectively than a plain acid like vinegar. Chelating agent and pH adjuster in cosmetics, soaps and detergents. Buffer and masking agent for metal ions in analytical chemistry. And an anticoagulant used in blood plasma storage and transport.
GRADES EXPLAINED
USP/FCC Food Grade meets both pharmacopeia and food chemical standards, the one to use for food, beverage or pharmaceutical applications, and it's where our Kosher and Halal certified products sit. ACS Grade meets American Chemical Society limits for analytical work. Lab Grade solutions are solid everyday purity, premixed at useful concentrations for cleaning, descaling and general industrial use where food standards aren't required.
TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE
Granular powder for food, beverage and pharmaceutical use.
Concentrated, ready to use food grade solution.
A lighter food grade concentration for formulation and dosing flexibility.
Tested to ACS limits, for analytical and research methods.
Premixed dilutions for descaling, cleaning and general industrial use.
WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY
256,000+ customers already order their acids and chemicals from Lab Alley. 99.5% of orders ship within 1 to 2 business days, and 98.9% inventory accuracy means the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships. SDS and COA are available online for every citric acid product, and our FCC and USP/FCC Food Grade citric acid, in anhydrous, 50% and 25% forms, carries Kosher and Halal certification; check each product page for which applies.
Related: See our Phosphoric Acid and EDTA collections, or browse all Acids.