Citric Acid: What Is It For?

What is citric acid?

Citric acid is an acidic organic compound, more precisely a weak tricarboxylic acid, with the formula C6H8O7. At room temperature it appears as a white crystalline powder, is harmless and is commonly found in foods, especially citrus fruits.

In biochemistry, it constitutes an intermediate element in the so-called citric acid cycle, which occurs in the cellular metabolism of all aerobic organisms.
Citric acid is also a product of great industrial use, especially as a food additive (code E330).