Citric Acid Outlook
Citric is a natural acid that is found in citric fruits. Lemon and lime are some of the rich citrus fruits in the world. Citric taste is sour, tart and tangy. There are plenty of forms of citric acid that is used for plenty of purposes. The citric acid available in the market is different from natural citrus. It may put you in a dilemma, whether it is a bad or good ingredient. Now let us see everything you need to know about citric acid.
What is citric acid?
Citric is an acid that is derived from lemon juice. It is a colourless and odourless acid that is used for many purposes since the 1900s. There are some other components from which the citric acid can be extracted. The acid is sour-tasting, tangy and aromatic. It is used mostly as a flavouring agent. Citric acid can go well with soft drinks and candies.
Some of the natural extractions of citric acid
Citric fruits are an excellent source of citric acid. Some of the fruits from which the citric acid is extracted are as follows:
- Lemon is a high source of citric acid. The lemon juice is processed to make citric.
- Orange is another citric fruit that contains high citrus. The citric acid derived from orange is not as sour as lemon citric.
- The citric acid from the grapefruit is sweet and other elements are added to give it the citrus kick.
- Some of the other fruits that contain small amounts of citrus are pineapple, pomelos, strawberries, tomatoes, cherries and cranberries.
- Tomato is another fruit that contains citrus. Due to this, the tomato ketchup is tangy and sour.
The various uses of artificial citric acid
A variety of industries use citric acid for their products. From beverages, pharmaceuticals, dietary and cleaning agents contain more than 70% of citric acid. Let us the industry that uses citric acid in a massive amount.
The food industry
Citric acid is the most common additive of food flavour agent in these industries. Citric acid is beneficial to enhance flavour, increase acidity and preserve food items. From sodas, chips, beverages, candies to frozen foods everything, contains citric acid. Citric acid is used in canned vegetables and fruits to prevent bacteria development.
The cleaning agent manufactures
Citric acid is famous in industries that produce cleaning agents. The cleaning disinfectants fight against bacteria due to citric acid. Citric acid is capable to prevent bacteria and virus. Most of the soaps, hand washes and cleaning agents come with citrus acid.
In dietary and medicines
Most of the staples and medicines contain citric acid. From syrups to chewable medicines contains citric acid. The minerals such as calcium and magnesium also contain citric acid.
The benefits of citric acid
- Citric acid can boost energy. The elements in the citric acid can turn fat into usable energy.
- The body can absorb the nutrient content well if it has citric acid.
- Citric acid can also prevent kidney stones. There are much more health benefits related to it.
Conclusion
Citric acid is a natural additive that is beneficial for many reasons. You can know its industry and health benefits from above.