Citric Acid

Citric acid (E330) is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks. Citric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits like lemons and limes. It can be added to ice cream as an emulsifying agent to keep fats from separating, to caramels to prevent sucrose crystallization, or to recipes in place of fresh lemon juice. Citric acid is commonly employed in wine production as a substitute or improver where fruits containing little or no natural acidity are used. It is one of several acids used by home brewers to modify brewing water for making beer. Additionally, citric acid is used as the main ripening agent in the first steps of making mozzarella cheese.