Ritz Crackers The Original — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Ritz Crackers The Original by Ritz DUMP — score 17/90.

That 'rich, buttery' cracker contains zero butter — it's refined flour, a vegetable-oil blend, and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, the trans-fat kind. Add sugar AND high fructose corn syrup to a supposedly savory snack and you've got the hyper-palatable triad in a red box. Dump it.

Why this verdict

• Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil — a trans-fat source with no safe intake level
• Two added sweeteners (sugar + high fructose corn syrup) in a 'savory' cracker
• Hyper-palatable snack triad: refined flour + refined oil + added sugar
• Enriched flour base — the grain stripped, then patched back with synthetic vitamins
• Undisclosed 'natural flavor' rounding out a factory formula

Ingredients (9)

• unbleached enriched flour (moderate) — Refined wheat flour with the bran and germ stripped, then re-fortified with a few synthetic vitamins. Fast carbohydrate, low fiber.
• Vegetable oil (soybean/canola/palm and/or partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil) (harmful) — Refined oil blend that can include partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, a source of artificial trans fat linked to heart disease.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate) (safe) — Standard rising agents, harmless in these amounts.
• High Fructose Corn Syrup (caution) — The dominant sweetener and second ingredient; drives the sugar load.
• Soy Lecithin (safe) — Common emulsifier, generally benign in these amounts.
• Malted Barley Flour (safe) — Traditional dough conditioner; contains gluten.
• Natural flavor (moderate) — Undisclosed flavor blend; minor but not fully transparent.