Widely used in the food and beverage industry as an acidulant to enhance flavor and preserve freshness. It provides a sour taste in soft drinks, candies, and jams, and helps control pH levels during processing. Acts as a natural preservative by inhibiting microbial growth due to its low pH. Commonly found in cleaning agents and detergents for its ability to chelate metal ions, improving the effectiveness of soaps and reducing water hardness. Used in household descalers to remove limescale from kettles, coffee makers, and bathroom fixtures. Employed in cosmetics and personal care products as a pH adjuster and antioxidant. Helps stabilize formulations and prolong shelf life in creams, lotions, and facial cleansers. Utilized in pharmaceuticals as an excipient to improve solubility and stability of active ingredients. Also used in effervescent tablets, where it reacts with bicarbonate to release carbon dioxide. Applied in water treatment processes to remove heavy metals and in industrial settings for passivation of stainless steel equipment.