Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers by Cheez-It ENGINEERED — score 30/90.

The '100% real cheese' is real — it's also third on the list, behind refined flour and TBHQ-preserved oils. This is a salt-fat-starch crunch machine with a petroleum-derived preservative keeping it shelf-stable. The cheese is the costume, not the cracker.

Why this verdict

• Base formula is enriched white flour plus refined soybean and palm oil — cheese is a distant third ingredient
• TBHQ, a synthetic petroleum-derived preservative, is baked into the oil
• Hyper-palatable salty-cheesy-crunchy design engineered for continuous snacking, not nutrition
• Points for real skim-milk cheese and natural colors (annatto, paprika) instead of artificial dyes

Ingredients (10)

• Enriched wheat flour (moderate) — Refined flour stripped of bran then fortified - the crust base.
• Soybean Oil (moderate) — Refined vegetable oil for body and mouthfeel.
• Palm Oil (moderate) — Saturated-fat-heavy oil used in the crust.
• TBHQ (caution) — Synthetic antioxidant preservative; flagged for concern at higher intakes.
• Cheese made with skim milk (safe) — Genuine cheese — the one honest star of the show, just underused.
• Whey protein (safe) — Dairy protein rounding out the cheese flavor.
• ANNATTO EXTRACT (safe) — Natural color from annatto seed.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Paprika extract (color) (safe) — Natural coloring, not a synthetic dye.
• Soy Lecithin (safe) — Common emulsifier, generally benign in these amounts.