Ritz Crackers is a brand of snack cracker introduced by

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco' ...

in 1934. The original style crackers are disc-shaped, lightly salted, and approximately in diameter. Each cracker has seven perforations and a finely scalloped edge. Today, the Ritz cracker brand is owned by

Mondelēz International Mondelēz International, Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational confectionery, food industry, food, Holding company, holding, drink industry, beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual rev ...

. A single serving of the original cracker (about 5 crackers or 15 grams) provides of food energy, 1 gram of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

, and 4 grams of

fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specif ...

; the whole wheat variety provides and 2.5 grams of fat.

History

In the early 1900s, the Jackson Cracker company of

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

, developed a small, round cracker called the Jaxon. The company was bought by Nabisco in 1919. Nabisco introduced the Ritz Cracker in 1934. Looking to compete with the similar ''Hi Ho'' cracker made by their competitor Sunshine Biscuits, they tasked an employee, Sydney Stern, to create a name and a marketing plan. Stern chose the name 'Ritz', which appealed to individuals enduring the privations of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

by offering them "a bite of the good life". He also designed the blue circle/yellow lettering logo design, inspired by the round label inside his hat. Beyond the branding, the design of the crackers themselves plays a functional role. The seven holes punched into each cracker allow steam to escape during baking, preventing air pockets and ensuring a uniform and consistent texture, without becoming overly crispy or flaky. In 2011, Ritz was identified in a

YouGov YouGov plc is a international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. History 2000–2010 Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim ...

poll as the "best perceived snack brand" among American consumers. A cartoon drawing of a box of Ritz Crackers can be seen in '' Mickey's Surprise Party'' (1939), an animated theatrical advertisement/cartoon short produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

for Nabisco.

Europe

Ritz Crackers varieties include Original, Peanut Butter, Roasted Vegetable, Honey Wheat, Garlic Butter, Bacon, Reduced Fat, Hint of Salt, Whole Wheat, Everything and Ritz Fresh Stacks. A 42-gram "fresh stack" sleeve typically consists of 13 crackers, and contains 220 calories. A standard 126-gram sleeve consists of 32 crackers, and contains 512 calories.

International

Ritz Crackers are available in the United Kingdom and Ireland in three varieties: Original and Cheese flavour, which were sold in 200 g boxes, and Ritz Cheese Sandwich (a cheese spread sandwiched between two Ritz Crackers), available in 125 g roll packs and 33 g snack packs. They are available as mini-crackers in 25g multi-packs.

Controversy

In May 2024, 200 g boxes were replaced with 150 g boxes but the price remained the same. A BBC report cited this as an example of Shrinkflation.

References

External links