Used in the food and beverage industry as an acidulant to enhance tartness and stabilize pH in products such as soft drinks, fruit juices, candies, and baking powders. Commonly employed in winemaking to adjust acidity and prevent crystallization of tartrates. In pharmaceuticals, serves as a chiral resolving agent due to its optical activity and is used to form stable salts of active ingredients, improving solubility and absorption. Applied in metal cleaning and electroplating processes for its ability to chelate metal ions. Also utilized in the production of effervescent tablets, as a component in some photographic chemicals, and in cosmetics as an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) for skin exfoliation and conditioning.