A Wide Application Of Citric Acid

Citric acid is an organic compound found in high amounts in citrus fruits. It's what gives lemons and limes their distinctive sour taste. Many manufacturers add citric acid to packaged foods and beverages to keep them fresh. However, this citric acid is synthetic, unlike naturally occurring citric acid in fruits. In its pure form, citric acid is colorless and odorless but has a strong acidic taste.1

Citric acid's history dates back to 1784 when Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele crystallized it from lemon juice. In 1917, food chemist James Currie discovered that he could produce citric acid using a strain of the black mold Aspergillus niger. This method is still in use today. It is commonly used in food production as a flavor enhancer and preservative. Due to its antioxidant properties, it is also an ingredient in medications to improve stability and act as a preservative.

Powdered Citric Acid Uses

1.Food Additive Citric Acid

Citric acid is used in food as a flavouring agent and preservative.

It is used in processed food products like beverages, soft drinks etc.

Due to its sour taste, it is used in making certain candies.

Sometimes the sour candy is covered with white powder which is citric acid.

To keep fat globules away some ice cream companies use it as an emulsifier.

2. Cleaning Agent Citric Acid

Citric acid is one of the chelating agents.

With the help of citric acid limescale from evaporators and boilers is removed.

It is used in soaps and laundry detergents as water is softened by the acid.

Household cleaners used in the kitchen and bathroom also contain some amount of citric acid.

It is not only used as a cleaner but also as a deodorizer.

3. Cosmetics Citric Acid

Citric acid helps in the removal of dead skin so used for home masks.

Improves skin tone and skin growth reducing wrinkles, acne scars etc.

To balance the pH levels citric acid is commonly used as an ingredient in cosmetics.

It is found in hand soap, body wash, nail polish, face cleansers, shampoos and some other cosmetics products.

4. Water Softener Citric Acid

Citric acid is used as a water softener in detergents, because of its an organic acid, chelating, and buffering properties.

The chemical properties of citric acid as a weak organic acid make it a strong softener for water.

It operates by breaking down the trace quantities of metal discovered in water, making it an optimal all-natural option for hard water treatment.

5. Industrial Uses Citric Acid

Industrial uses of citric acid include detergent manufacturing, electroplating and leather tanning.

Citric acid is also used as a preservative for stored blood and a buffer and antioxidant in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Several fungal-derived acids have significant commercial value and have found wide-ranging applications in the food, feed, pharmaceutical and polymer industries.

Citric acid is one of many metabolites produced by Aspergillus species. Citric acid possesses sweet-and-sour sensory notes, and succinic acid has a salty—bitter taste. With the change in soil and climatic condition, the citric acid amount in vegetables and fruits also varies.

A mixture of citric acid and ascorbic acid is used as a dip for oily fish to prevent surface tissue from becoming brownish and gummy, a condition known as rusting. Production by fermentation resulted in drastic lowering and stabilisation of the price of citric acid.