Hill Country Fare Deluxe Saltine Crackers — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates Hill Country Fare Deluxe Saltine Crackers by Hill Country Fare OKAY — score 62/90.

Classic everyday saltines: refined wheat flour, a modified vegetable oil, salt and standard leavening agents. Nothing alarming, but the enriched flour is stripped of the whole grain and the oil is interesterified, a lab-modified fat. A neutral pantry staple, fine as a vehicle for soup rather than something to eat by the sleeve.

Why this verdict

• Simple, familiar cracker built on enriched wheat flour
• Uses interesterified soybean oil, an industrially modified fat
• Enriched flour is refined, with nutrients added back rather than intact
• Handful of standard leavening and dough agents, but no colors or flavor enhancers

Ingredients (8)

• Enriched wheat flour (moderate) — Refined breading flour stripped of the grain's fiber and nutrients, then synthetically re-fortified.
• Palm Oil and/or Interesterified Soybean Oil (caution) — A modified industrial fat used for texture and shelf life.
• Salt / sea salt (moderate) — Saltines are a notable sodium source.
• yeast (safe) — Standard leavening organism.
• Soy Lecithin (safe) — Emulsifier in the chocolate chips; common and low concern.
• Diastatic Malt (safe) — A malt-based dough conditioner; minor.
• Leavening (Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate) (moderate) — Standard chemical leaveners; fine in small amounts.
• Lactic Acid (safe) — A mild acid for flavor and preservation; safe.

Healthier alternatives

• Triscuit Crackers Original
• HIMALAYAN PINK ORGANIC POPCORN, HIMALAYAN PINK
• Vegan Cheese Popped Water Lily Seeds
• SkinnyPop Organic Original Popcorn
• SkinnyPop Original Popcorn