Palm Oil With Citric Acid Added

Palm oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree. Citric acid is a natural acid found in citrus fruits, often produced commercially through fermentation. When added to palm oil, citric acid typically acts as a preservative or antioxidant to help maintain the oil's quality and extend its shelf life.

Palm oil is widely used in food manufacturing for its texture, stability, and neutral flavor, especially in baked goods and snacks. The added citric acid helps prevent the oil from going rancid, making it useful in products like cakes, cupcakes, snack cakes, frozen appetizers, croissants, sweet rolls, and muffins.

Palm oil is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA. It is high in saturated fat, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories. Citric acid is also GRAS by the FDA, and JECFA has evaluated it, concluding that a numeric acceptable daily intake (ADI) was not specified as it is a normal component of metabolism. Neither ingredient is associated with specific adverse health effects at typical consumption levels.