Manganese Citrate
Manganese Citrate carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 51 indexed US food products.
3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine
How common is Manganese Citrate vs other flagged additives?
Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives - Manganese Citrate highlighted.
Function
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
Safety Assessment
Manganese Citrate has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.
What the Data Says About Manganese Citrate
Manganese Citrate currently appears in 51 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status - currently "GRAS" - with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. Regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups like CSPI weigh cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk -- two related but distinct questions.
In food manufacturing, Manganese Citrate functions as a nutrient supplement, sequestrant. That technical role explains why it recurs across many product categories, formulators select specific additives for stability, shelf life, color, or texture performance, and substitution is rarely a one-for-one swap when regulations or consumer preferences shift. Inspection and outbreak data often trace back to breakdown in the control of exactly these kinds of functional ingredients, either through contaminated batches, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling errors that trigger FDA-initiated recalls.
No specific concern flags are attached to Manganese Citrate in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.
Safety Profile at a Glance
| Source | Classification | Year |
|---|---|---|
| FDA SAFFA | GRAS | 2024 |
| CSPI Chemical Cuisine | Not rated | 2024 |
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 3/5 | 2026 |
| Product footprint | 51 products | OpenFoodFacts |
FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.
Products Containing Manganese Citrate
A sample of 16 of the 51 indexed products containing Manganese Citrate, with each product's overall safety score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manganese Citrate safe to eat? ▼
Manganese Citrate has a safety score of 3/5. FDA status: GRAS. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.
What products contain Manganese Citrate? ▼
Manganese Citrate is found in 51 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.
What does Manganese Citrate do in food? ▼
Manganese Citrate is used as a nutrient supplement, sequestrant in food products.
Citation notes
Regulatory status from FDA SAFFA; safety ratings from CSPI Chemical Cuisine; product presence from Open Food Facts. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial.Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Ingredient figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.