Is Citric Acid (E330) Vegan?

Also known as: 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid

Related additives: Sodium citrate (E331), Potassium citrate (E332)

Vegan

Last checked 29 Jul 2026 How we decide Edited by Anna Polovnikova

Citric acid is vegan. Since 1919 it has been grown by feeding molasses or corn syrup to the fungus Aspergillus niger, which overtook the old citrus-extraction route by the mid-1920s. Output now runs to about 2.8 million tonnes a year, roughly 70% of it Chinese.

Ingredient Data

Vegan Status

Vegan

E-Number

E330

Also Known As

2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid

Source

Industrially produced via fermentation of molasses, corn syrup, or other carbohydrates using the fungus Aspergillus niger. No animal products are involved.

Commonly Found In

Soft drinks, jams, sweets, tinned foods, wine, cheese, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning products. The most widely used food acidulant globally.

Vegan Alternative

No substitute needed: E330 and its salts are vegan.

Additional Notes

Originally extracted from citrus fruit (hence the name), commercial citric acid has been produced via Aspergillus niger fermentation since 1919, and by the late 1920s the citrus extraction route was rendered uneconomic. Approximately 2.8 million tonnes are produced annually, with China accounting for approximately 70% of global output. Vegan and generally recognized as safe. Occasionally causes mouth sores in sensitive individuals at high doses.

In depth

How it is made

Virtually all commercial citric acid is produced by microbial fermentation. Extraction from fruit accounts for almost none of it. The dominant process uses the mold Aspergillus niger. The fungus is fed a carbohydrate-rich substrate such as cane or beet molasses, corn-derived glucose syrup, or other refined sugars. As it metabolizes the sugar, it secretes citric acid into the surrounding medium.

After fermentation, the broth is separated from the fungal biomass and the acid is recovered and purified, historically by precipitation with lime to form calcium citrate, followed by treatment with sulfuric acid and further filtration and crystallization. The finished product is a white crystalline powder.

Because the pathway relies on a fungus and plant-derived sugars, no animal inputs are used at any stage. The name is a historical holdover from the original citrus-extraction method, which was abandoned for industrial purposes once fermentation proved far cheaper and more scalable.

How to spot it on labels

Citric acid is one of the most consistently labeled additives. The ingredient is rarely hidden. On ingredient lists it appears as "citric acid" or under its European E number, E330. Its common salts carry adjacent numbers: sodium citrate is E331 and potassium citrate is E332. Both serve as acidity regulators, sequestrants, or emulsifying salts.

You will encounter it across sweet and savory products, from carbonated drinks and fruit preserves to canned vegetables, confectionery, wine, and processed cheese. It also appears widely outside food. Effervescent tablets, cosmetics, bath products, and household cleaners use it as a chelating and pH-adjusting agent.

Because it is plant- and fungus-derived, its presence on a label does not raise any vegan concern. Labels do not distinguish the sugar source, but that source is a carbohydrate feedstock in standard commercial production.

Regulatory status and safety

Citric acid holds broad regulatory acceptance. In the European Union it is an approved food additive designated E330, and in the United States it is classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Most frameworks set no numerical daily intake limit on its use as an acidulant, antioxidant synergist, and acidity regulator, reflecting its status as a naturally occurring compound present in the human metabolism.

The substance occurs naturally in the human body as part of the citric acid cycle, the central pathway of cellular energy production, which is one reason it is regarded as well tolerated. Most people consume it without any adverse effect.

At high concentrations or with frequent exposure, its acidity can contribute to dental enamel erosion, and some individuals report mouth or lip irritation. These effects relate to acidity and dose, and they do not affect its vegan classification.

How labels show it in different countries

E330, INS 330 and a plain 330 all name citric acid, so every one of these label forms carries the same vegan verdict. The Codex Alimentarius Commission lists it as INS 330 in its International Numbering System for Food Additives, a shared set of numbers that stands in for long chemical names. The word printed in front of the number names the job the additive does, and Codex lists four jobs for citric acid: acidity regulator, antioxidant, color retention agent and sequestrant.

In the European Union and the United Kingdom the code is E330. Food labeling law in both requires an additive's category name followed by its specific name or E number, so an ingredient list pairs a category such as acid or acidity regulator with citric acid or E330.

Australia and New Zealand use the bare number. The Food Standards Code requires most additives to appear as a class name followed by the additive's name or number, and the number for citric acid is 330. Acid and acidity regulator are both class names in the Code, so citric acid can appear as acid (330) or acidity regulator (330).

India uses the Codex numbering. Its Food Safety and Standards Authority requires each additive's functional class together with its specific name or INS number, so 330 on an Indian ingredient list is citric acid as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is citric acid vegan?

Yes, citric acid is vegan. Commercial citric acid is produced by fermenting plant-derived sugars with the fungus Aspergillus niger, with no animal inputs at any stage. Its salts, sodium citrate (E331) and potassium citrate (E332), are equally vegan.

Is citric acid made from citrus fruit?

No. Almost all commercial citric acid comes from industrial fermentation of carbohydrates such as molasses or corn syrup, using Aspergillus niger. Citrus fruit accounts for almost none of the supply. The name reflects the original fruit-extraction method, which was abandoned for industrial use after fermentation proved cheaper.

What is E330?

E330 is the European food additive number for citric acid. The additive functions as an acidity regulator, acidulant, and antioxidant synergist across a wide range of foods, drinks, and other products. E330 is vegan and widely approved for use.

Is citric acid in soft drinks and wine vegan?

The citric acid itself is vegan in soft drinks and wine. However, the vegan status of the finished beverage depends on other factors, particularly in wine, where animal-derived fining agents such as gelatin or isinglass may be used during processing. Check the full product for those separate ingredients.

Is citric acid safe to consume?

Citric acid is generally considered safe. The additive is classified as GRAS in the United States and approved as E330 in the European Union. It occurs naturally in the body as part of the citric acid cycle. At high doses or frequent exposure its acidity may erode dental enamel or irritate the mouth in sensitive individuals.

Is E330 vegetarian?

Yes. E330 is suitable for vegetarians and fully vegan as well. Citric acid comes from plant sugars fermented by the mold Aspergillus niger, so every input is plant, fungal or mineral. Vegetarians who also avoid eggs or dairy can eat it too.

Is food acid 330 vegan?

Yes. In Australia and New Zealand 330 is the code number for citric acid, the same vegan additive that European labels show as E330. The Food Standards Code puts a class name such as acid or acidity regulator in front of the number, and the number identifies the substance whatever that word is.