Home » Snacks » Is Cheez-It Vegan-Friendly?

Is Cheez-It Vegan-Friendly?

Are you wondering if Cheez-It is vegan?

Cheez-It is a cheese cracker brand that was originally founded by Green and Green Company in 1921. It was then acquired by Sunshine Food and Kellogg. Cheez-It is characterized by its thin square shape with ridged edges and a hole in the middle. 

Other flavors under Cheez-It include:

  • Original Snack Crackers
  • Extra Toasty Snack Crackers
  • Extra Cheesy Snack Crackers
  • Extra Big Snack Crackers
  • White Cheddar
  • Pepper Jack Snack Crackers
  • Cheddar Jack Snack Crackers
  • Whole Grain Snack Crackers
  • Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers
  • Cheese Pizza Snack Crackers
  • Hot and Spicy Snack Crackers
  • Reduced Fat Snack Crackers

By virtue of its name, we can probably guess whether Cheez-It is vegan-friendly or not. Just to make sure though, let us go into deeper details and find out.

Is Cheez-It Vegan-Friendly?

The answer is: No

This is because the product contains cheese which is an animal byproduct. Some of the other flavors also contain sugar and natural flavor.

What is a Cheez-It Made Of?

Nutritional Facts

Cheez-it® Original Snack Crackers Ingredients

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness), cheese made with skim milk (skim milk, whey protein, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes, annatto extract color).Contains 2% or less of salt, paprika, yeast, paprika extract color, soy lecithin.

Why is Cheez-It Not Vegan?

The Original Cheez-It flavor contains cheese which is an animal byproduct made from milk. In the making of cheese, milk is first processed. Cultures are added to the milk so that it ferments and becomes acidic. Rennet is added which curdles the milk.

The curds are then cut and heated. The curd is processed by repeatedly stirring, cooking, and washing it. The whey is drained so that only cheese mats remain and the cheese is either dry salted or brined.

Other flavors may contain sugar and natural flavor. Sugar may be non-vegan because of the bone char used in its filtration process. Bone char is animal bone that is burned at an extremely high temperature until it reaches a powder-like substance.

The natural flavor may be derived from lanolin which is an animal byproduct or lichen which is sourced from plants. It is unclear whether the sugar and natural flavor in this product are vegan or not.

Final Thoughts

Cheez-It is not vegan because it contains cheese and some flavors also contain sugar and natural flavor. While it is unclear if the sugar and natural flavor contained in Cheez-It is vegan or not, we may have to assume it is not just to be on the safe side.

For more information on Cheez-It, please visit the official company websites at: 

Leave a Comment