If you are into purchasing organic foods, you are likely the type of person who reads the ingredients label of everything you buy. A common food ingredient found in organic foods is
citric acid. The name of the chemical reminds us of citrusy fruits, but have you ever questioned why it is used, where it comes from, or how it is produced? Or do you simply trust the ingredients of products labelled 'organic'?
Most consumers will assume that citric acid is naturally extracted from fruit sources, such as lemons and limes, and used as a "natural" alternative to chemical preservatives, but that's far from the truth. The citric acid found in jarred foods and beverages is typically manufactured in factories using a species of black mold called
Aspergillus niger (image on the right). Through the anaerobic process of
fermentation,
A. niger in submerged in a solution consisting of sugar, and a limited source of oxygen. Once the process is complete, the mold is physically removed by filtration, and the remaining solution is mixed with calcium hydroxide (lime) to form a precipitate known as calcium citrate salt. Subsequent treatment with sulfuric acid results in what we know to be citric acid (image on the left).
While preservation remains one of the main reasons why citric acid is added to food items, it is also used as a flavor enhancer, and helps to facilitate the ripening process of certain foods. The acidic pH of citric acid (usually between 3–6) makes it a useful food preservative simply because bacteria cannot grow in acidic environments. In turn, foods remains fresher and more colorful.
Organic baby food uses at least 95% organic ingredients and 5% worth of preservatives. Food that is overly acidic, as a result of adding an acid-based preservative to an already acidic food like apples, may lead to upset stomachs in babies. Thus, don't always make the assumption that eating organic is better; it may feel like you're doing yourself a favor consuming naturally grown foods, when in fact, there are many ingredients with questionable origins.
