In the article "Is vitamin C just citric acid? Of course not!", we explored from multiple angles why some people confuse vitamin C with citric acid. We have already talked about the similarities between vitamin C and citric acid, so new questions follow one after another, what is the difference between vitamin C and citric acid?
When it comes to ingredients in food, skincare, or supplements, citric acid and vitamin C are two terms that often cause confusion. While both are associated with citrus fruits and have acidic properties, they are fundamentally different in structure, function, and biological roles. Let's dive into the science behind these compounds to clarify their unique characteristics.
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has a molecular formula of C6H8O6 and a molecular weight of 176.12. It is a water-soluble vitamin. At room temperature, vitamin C is a colorless powder or crystal, but it has poor stability. It is difficult to maintain its original properties when exposed to light, heat or alkaline environment. It will accelerate oxidation and easily decompose.
Vitamin C is a necessary vitamin for the human body. It has important functions such as antioxidant and immune regulation, collagen synthesis, iron absorption promotion, and prevention of scurvy. It can promote growth and enhance a person's own resistance to disease. However, it cannot be stored in the human body for a long time, so it needs to be supplemented through diet every day. Vitamin C is widely found in all kinds of fresh fruits and some vegetables. Common foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits (lemon, orange), kiwi, strawberry, bell pepper, cauliflower, etc.
What is citric acid?
The molecular formula of citric acid is C6H8O7, and the molecular weight is 192.12. It is an important organic weak acid. At room temperature, citric acid is a colorless and odorless crystalline powder. The citric acid powder is easily soluble in water, and the solution is acidic. Citric acid exists in two forms: anhydrous or monohydrate. When the temperature reaches 70°C, monohydrate citric acid can remove bound water and convert into anhydrous citric acid.
Similar to vitamin C, natural citric acid is widely found in nature. Many kinds of fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, contain more citric acid, especially lemons and limes. After the drying process, lemons and limes have a citric acid content of up to 8%. Citric acid is often used as an important food additive in the food industry because of its own characteristics. But in addition to the food industry, citric acid also plays an indispensable role in industry, daily chemicals and medicine.
The key difference between vitamin C and citric acid
After briefly introducing vitamin C and citric acid, we will introduce the key differences between vitamin C and citric acid in the following aspects.
1. Differences in chemical structure and properties
The main difference is their different chemical structures. The chemical formula of vitamin C (CAS: 50-81-7) is C6H8O6, the molecular weight is 176.12 g/mol, and the appearance is colorless powder or crystal. While the chemical formula of citric acid (CAS: 77-92-9) is C6H8O7, the molecular weight is 192.12 g/mol, and the appearance is colorless and odorless crystalline powder.
In terms of stability, vitamin C is easily affected by the environment and oxidized, especially in high temperature or alkaline environment, it will be decomposed; while the chemical properties of citric acid are relatively stable and are often used to adjust the pH of food.
In other aspects, vitamin C and citric acid are both soluble in water, but the density of vitamin C (1.694 g/cm³) is slightly greater than that of citric acid (1.542 g/cm³); the melting point of vitamin C (190-192℃) is higher than that of citric acid (153-159℃).
2. Differences in functions and usage scenarios
The difference in chemical properties also leads to differences in functions and usage scenarios between vitamin C and citric acid.
Vitamin C is often used as a nutritional supplement, antioxidant and analytical reagent. In the medical field, vitamin C can be used to treat scurvy and to promote the repair of traumatic tissue after surgery. In the beauty and skin care industry, vitamin C is a common whitening ingredient in cosmetics, which has the effects of whitening, anti-oxidation and promoting collagen synthesis. In the food industry, vitamin C can be used as a natural preservative to extend the shelf life of food, and can also be used as a nutritional enhancer, added to beverages and other foods to enhance nutritional value.
The function of citric acid may be similar to that of vitamin C in some aspects, but there are still differences overall. In the food industry, citric acid is a natural acidulant that can be added as a food additive to beverages, canned foods and jams, baked goods and dairy products to give food a sour taste and enhance the taste. Citric acid can also lower the pH value, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth and extending the shelf life of food. In industry, citric acid is also used to make detergents, which can not only clean metal objects and metal pipes, remove rust, but also improve the performance of washing products. In addition, adding citric acid to animal feed can improve the taste of feed, increase livestock's appetite, and improve feed digestibility.
Common misunderstandings
1. Vitamin C and citric acid can replace each other
False. Although vitamin C and citric acid have overlapping functions in some application scenarios, they are not the same thing, and there are essential differences in chemical properties and functions.
2. Vitamin C and citric acid cannot be used together
Not completely accurate. In the food industry, citric acid and vitamin C can be used together to enrich the taste of many kinds of food and increase nutrition they contain. But in medicines and skin care products, they need to be used with caution.
3. Vitamin C contains citric acid, or citric acid contains vitamin C
Although vitamin C and citric acid are mainly found in citrus fruits, as mentioned above, the two are not the same thing, nor do they contain each other.
About Sinoright
Sinoright International Trade Co., Ltd., founded in 2011, is a company specializing in foreign trade exports with more than ten years of rich industry experience and good reputation. Since the establishment of the company, we have always adhered to the concept of customer first and provided customers with professional one-stop supply chain services. So far, we have provided high-quality and low-cost products and professional and considerate services to more than 1,000 customers in more than 80 countries around the world. For more than ten years, the company has maintained a high-speed growth trend, with turnover increasing at a rate of about 40% per year, and the number of employees has exceeded 35+.
We are a professional manufacturer and supplier of vitamin C and citric acid products in China, with multiple production plants, and production bases are located in Liaoning, Shandong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu and other provinces in China. Our product output is stable and has passed a number of product quality certifications. While providing you with high-quality products, we ensure that the price of the product has considerable competitive advantages in the industry. The product inventory is sufficient throughout the year, and the storage warehouse is close to ports and other convenient places for transportation, so it can be shipped as soon as you confirm your order. We will choose the most suitable transportation method for you according to your actual situation or your requirements, including air, land and sea transportation, etc., to deliver the goods in a timely and efficient manner, saving your time and money.
If you have citric acid and vitamin C product needs, please feel free to contact us. We will have professional colleagues to listen to your needs, feedback the appropriate price, control the quality of the products, track the transportation status of the goods, and provide you with high-quality and reliable services.