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Dear Listmates:

I thought, as probably most of you did, that citric acid meant the acid
derived from the citrus fruits - lemons, limes and the like - until that
posting a while back that got me all worked up over whether the citric acid
listed as an ingredient in any product could possibly be made from wheat.
This is only true if the manufacturer of that product used a citric acid
from China.  In my detailed ingredient list from Ener-G Foods, they have a
detailed description of what citric acid is when commercially used:

"Citric acid as used commercially is usually derived by fermentation of
molasses (from cane) or sugar syrup (from beet) or corn syrup.  Citric acid
is 'widely distributed in plants and in animal tissues and fluids.  Produced
by mycological fermentation on an industrial scale using crude sugars soln
(not a typo, soln), such as molasses and strains of Aspergillus niger...Also
extracted from citrus fruits and from pineapple waste.' (yuck)  The Merck
Index, Tenth Edition: Aspergillus niger is a 'genus of imperfect fungi of
the family Moniliaceae...A. niger, a species common in soil and often
isolated from otomcosis...'" (yeah, clear as mud, right?)..."The citric acid
which Ener-G Foods, Inc., uses is fermented from corn syrup (sugar).  It is
fermented with Aspergillus niger, not yeast."

So, we know that Ener-G Foods' products are safe.  I also called Authentic
Foods, and they use a corn-derived citric acid in their products.
Steven of Authentic Foods assured me that usually in the U.S.,
manufacturers use citric acid produced in America, not China.  I've called a
couple other companies and have not heard back as of yet.

So now everyone can be a big hit at parties because everyone in earshot will
be mesmerized by their knowledge of
citric acid!

Cecilia Vohl
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