Citric Acid (C₆H₈O₇), also known as 2-Hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, is a naturally occurring weak organic acid found in citrus fruits such as lemons and limes, responsible for their characteristic sour taste. Although naturally present in fruit, most commercial citric acid is produced through a controlled fermentation process using sugars and specialist microbial cultures, ensuring consistent quality and scalable supply for industrial applications. Widely used across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cleaning, and industrial sectors, it acts as a pH regulator, preservative, chelating agent, and flavour enhancer while also delivering effective descaling and metal-removal properties in cleaning formulations.