Malic acid has a wide range of applications in various industries, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care. Some common applications of malic acid include:

• Food and Beverage: Malic acid is commonly used as a food additive to enhance the tartness and sourness of various food products, such as fruit-flavored candies, carbonated beverages, and fruit juices. It can also be used as a pH adjuster and a flavor enhancer in many other food products.
• Personal Care: Malic acid is used in personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, and skin care products, due to its ability to exfoliate and improve skin texture. It is also used as a pH adjuster and a buffering agent in many cosmetic formulations.
• Pharmaceutical: Malic acid is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations, where it serves as a pH adjuster, a buffering agent, and a disintegrant.
• Industrial: Malic acid is used in various industrial applications, such as metal cleaning and electroplating, due to its chelating properties. It is also used as a component in some biodegradable plastics.

How does malic acid compare to other food acidulants? Here is the relative sourness, in arbitrary units, of malic and other organic acids compared to citric acid:

1. Citric acid: 100
2. Fumaric acid: 55
3. Tartaric acid: 70
4. Malic acid: 75
5. Succinic acid: 87
6. Lactic acid: 107
7. Glucono-delta-lactone: 310

In terms of tartness, 0.362 – 0.408 Kg of this acid is equivalent to 0.453 Kg of citric acid and to 0.272 – 0.317 Kg of fumaric acid. Similar concentrations of organic food acids may have different pH’s which typically range from 2-3 at 1% concentration.