Cheez-It facts for kids
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| Type | Cracker |
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| Owner | Kellanova (Sunshine Biscuits) |
| Introduced | 1921 |
| Previous owners | Green & Green Company (1921–1932) Sunshine Biscuits (1932–1996) Keebler Company (1996–2001) |
Cheez-It is a brand of cheese cracker manufactured by Kellanova through its Sunshine Biscuits division. Approximately 26 by 24 millimetres (1.0 by 0.94 in), the rectangular crackers are made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese, skim milk, salt, and spices.
Contents
History
The history of Cheez-It crackers began in 1907, when Weston Green founded the Green & Green Company in Dayton, Ohio. The company produced a variety of baked snack foods such as Dayton crackers, graham crackers, gingersnaps, and, during World War I, hardtack. On March 31, 1921, Green introduced Cheez-It crackers, commonly called Cheez-Its, as a new product. The company marketed the cracker as a "baked rarebit", a reference to a dish of melted cheese over toast. On May 23, 1921, the first Cheez-It logo was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In 1932, the Kansas City-based Sunshine Biscuits (which was known as the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company until 1947) acquired the Green & Green Company, and with it came the Cheez-It cracker. Sunshine Biscuits expanded the distribution and popularity of Cheez-It crackers across the country. In 1996, Keebler acquired Sunshine Biscuits, and in 2001, Kellogg's acquired Keebler, bringing Cheez-It crackers under its umbrella. Cheez-Its were officially launched in Canada in January 2020.
In late 2023, Kellogg's spun off its North American cereal division as WK Kellogg Co. The company's snack food business, including Cheez-It, became part of the renamed Kellanova.
Cracker
Cheez-It crackers are 26-by-24-millimetre (1.0 by 0.94 in) rectangles, though they are often believed to be squares. Cheez-It crackers are made with actual cheese, and are marketed by Kellogg's as such.
Flavors and types
The original Cheez-It was the only product available until the 1980s; since then, have been over 50 different varieties of Cheez-It flavors and products, including:
- Buffalo Wing
- Cheddar Jack
- Cheez-It Big (a larger cracker more suitable for garnishing or dipping)
- Cheese Pizza
- Chipotle Cheddar
- Duoz Sharp Cheddar & Parmesan
- Duoz Bacon & Cheddar
- Duoz Jalapeño & Cheddar Jack
- Extra Toasty
- Extra Toasty Cheddar Jack
- Extra Big
- Extra Cheesy
- Extra Crunchy
- Gripz "mighty tiny"
- Grooves Bold Cheddar
- Grooves Sharp White Cheddar
- Grooves Zesty Cheddar Ranch
- Grooves Scorchin' Hot Cheddar
- Hot & Spicy (without Tabasco sauce)
- Italian Four Cheese
- Mozzarella
- Original
- Pepper Jack
- Provolone (with real hickory smoke flavor added)
- Puff'd
- Queso Fundido
- Reduced Fat
- Reduced Fat White Cheddar
- Scrabble Junior
- Sizzlin' Bacon (limited availability)
- Snack Mix
- Snack Mix Double Cheese
- Snack Mix Sweet & Salty
- Snap'd
- Snap'd Cheddar Sour Cream
- Snap'd Double Cheese
- Snap'd Jalapeño Jack
- Snap'd Barbecue
- White Cheddar
- Whole Grain
- Zingz Chipotle Cheddar
- Zingz Queso Fundido
Cheez-It Grooves is available in Canada as Cheez-It Crunch.
Discontinued
Former offerings include:
- Asiago
- Atomic Cheddar
- Baby Swiss
- Barbecue & Cheddar Snack Mix
- Cheesy Sour Cream & Onion
- Chili Cheese
- Colby
- Duoz Smoked Cheddar and Monterey Jack
- Duoz Zesty Queso and Cheddar Blanco
- Hot & Spicy (with Tabasco sauce)
- Hot & Spicy Grooves
- Nacho
- Parmesan & Garlic
- Romano
- Smoked Cheddar
- Snack Mix Sriracha
- Twists Buffalo Bleu
See also
- Cheese Nips, a former competing brand of cheese cracker
- Cheez-It Bowl (2018–2019), sponsored by Cheez-It and played in Arizona in 2018 and 2019
- Cheez-It Bowl (2020–2022), sponsored by Cheez-It and played in Florida from 2020 through 2022
- Citrus Bowl, played in Florida and sponsored by Cheez-It starting with the January 2023 edition
