Ritz · Food Packaging
Ritz Original Crackers
Typical grease-resistant food packaging; PFAS use undisclosed by brand.
Ritz crackers come in standard paperboard packaging likely treated for grease resistance. Mondelez does not publicly disclose PFAS in food-contact packaging; standard industry practice often involves fluorinated coatings.
The safe swap
World Centric
World Centric Compostable Fiber Compost-A-Pak Containers
100/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned its A.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
paperboard packaging with probable grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Ritz Original Crackers arrive in paperboard packaging with a grease-resistant interior coating to prevent oil from the crackers degrading the box. This coating is almost certainly a fluorinated compound (PFAS family) applied during manufacturing, though Ritz/Mondelez does not publicly disclose the specific chemical. The crackers themselves are a wheat flour, vegetable oil, and salt base with no documented hazardous additives in the product formulation.
The brand's record and disclosure
Mondelez International (Ritz owner) has not publicly committed to PFAS phase-out in food packaging, nor does it disclose PFAS use on product labels or sustainability reports. The company has faced no major recalls or documented chemical safety controversies specific to Ritz crackers. Mondelez maintains basic food safety certifications (FDA compliance) but remains silent on fluorinated coatings, which is standard industry practice for snack manufacturers.
How it compares in its category
Ritz crackers are packaged identically to most mass-market salty snacks (Doritos, Lay's, similar competitors), all of which rely on grease-resistant coatings that typically contain PFAS. No major competitor in this segment has switched to PFAS-free packaging. Unpackaged bulk crackers or those in uncoated paper eliminate coating exposure but are rare in retail and risk staleness. On coating hazard parity, Ritz is neither better nor worse than its direct peers.
If you buy it
Store the crackers in an airtight container once opened to preserve freshness and reduce packaging contact duration. Do not microwave or heat crackers inside the original packaging, as PFAS migration risk increases with temperature. The primary exposure route is indirect ingestion via oil transfer from coating to crackers; this is unavoidable with current packaging. Monitor expiration dates and replace packaging after 2-3 months of storage to limit extended grease-coating contact.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
PFAS in grease-resistant coating (fluorinated compounds)
Standard for paperboard food packaging in this product category. Mondelez does not disclose which PFAS compound is used, but fluorinated coatings are industry norm for oil-barrier protection in snack packaging.
Microplastics from coating degradation
No documented cases of visible coating flaking in Ritz packaging or recall history for particulates. Paperboard coating degradation is minimal under normal storage; risk increases only if packaging is visibly damaged or stored in extreme heat.
BPA or BPS in packaging inks/adhesives
Mondelez has not disclosed epoxy-based inks or adhesives in Ritz packaging. Contemporary paperboard food packaging typically avoids BPA, but no independent testing of Ritz packaging has been publicly released to confirm absence.
Heavy metal migration from inks
FDA regulations restrict lead and cadmium in printing inks on food-contact surfaces. No recalls or contamination reports specific to Ritz crackers or Mondelez paperboard packaging exist in public records.
Mineral oil or other coating transfer to product
Ritz crackers are pre-coated with vegetable oil, so additional mineral oil transfer from packaging is unlikely to significantly alter product composition. However, the grease-resistant coating itself (PFAS) can migrate into oily foods at low levels over time.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 45% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Food Packaging
World Centric
Compostable Fiber Compost-A-Pak Containers
Fiber-based (wood pulp/molded fiber), compostable coating
Lower-concern choice; compostable fiber with documented PFAS-free commitments, though independent lab confirmation on this specific SKU is absent.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
Vegware
Compostable Microflute Takeaway Box
Plant-based fiber (sugarcane bagasse microflute); water-based coatings
Lower-concern choice; plant-based compostable packaging with transparent PFAS-free positioning, though lab test availability is limited.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
Loliware
Compostable Hinged Deli Containers
Polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic, plant-based coatings
Lower PFAS concern; compostable bioplastic design avoids legacy fluorine coatings typical in food packaging.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
More food packaging grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.