Ritz Crackers The Original — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates Ritz Crackers The Original by Ritz DUMP — score 20/90.
Refined white flour, refined oils, sugar AND high fructose corn syrup, with partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil in the mix — a highly processed cracker with almost no nutrition.
Why this verdict
- Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil in the oil blend — a source of artery-clogging trans fat
- Two added sweeteners: sugar plus high fructose corn syrup
- Refined enriched white flour, 'enriched' just means synthetic vitamins added back after refining
- Hyper-palatable triad: refined starch + refined oil + added sugar, engineered to overeat
- Nutritionally empty, spikes blood sugar with no fiber or protein to slow it
Ingredients (9)
- unbleached enriched flour (moderate) — Refined wheat flour stripped of fiber and nutrients, then fortified with synthetic B vitamins and iron; spikes blood sugar fast.
- 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 (concerning) — Added sugar, third by weight, feeds yeast and adds sweetness with no nutritional benefit.
- Salt (moderate) — Added for taste and mild preservation. Fine in small amounts but adds to daily sodium.
- Leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate) (safe) — Standard raising agents; harmless in these amounts.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (concerning) — Cheap refined sweetener; drives blood-sugar spikes and adds empty calories with no nutrition.
- Soy Lecithin (moderate) — Emulsifier that keeps the crumb soft and uniform; a processing additive.
- Malted Barley Flour (safe) — Adds flavor and helps browning; minor and benign.
- Natural flavor (moderate) — Undisclosed flavor compounds; vague catch-all term.