

Citric acid
(monohydrate, anhydrous)
E330
At room temperature, citric acid is a white crystalline powder, easily soluble in water.
It can be obtained from lemon, but is usually derived from sugar by fermentation, using molds.
It can exist in anhydrate form (anhydrous) or as monohydrate.
Citric acid is weak organic acid and a natural preservative that is used to add sour flavor to food and soft drinks.
It appears in the metabolism of almost all living beings. It can also be used as an environment-friendly (benign) cleaning agent.
Citric acid exists, in amounts greater than traces, in various fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus.
Lemons and limes contain particularly high concentrations of citric acid, up to 8 % dry matter of fruit (about 47 g/l in juice).
Concentrations of citric acid in citrus fruits are in the range of 0,005 mol/l in oranges and grapefruit to 0,30 mol/l in lemon and lime.
Within species, these values vary depending on particular farmer and farming conditions.
Salts of citric acid are known as citrates (e.g. trisodium citrate, potassium citrate), also used in food industry (beverage production) as acidity regulators.
CAS: 77-92-9 Molecular formula: C6H8O7 Molecular mass: 210,14 g mol−1 (monohydrat) 192,124 g mol−1 (anhydrous)