Setting It Level · Viral Post Fact Check ·

I ate that as a kid and I'm fine! No you didn't!" Cheez-It THEN: wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese. NOW: a long list with TBHQ, annatto, soy lecithin and more.

Screenshot of the viral post we checked, claiming: I ate that as a kid and I'm fine! No you didn't!" Cheez-It THEN: wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese. NOW: a long list with TBHQ, annatto, soy lecithin and more.
The post as it circulated. Faces of private individuals are blurred.

Our rating

Misleading

How we rate

What We Found

The "NOW" list is accurate. It matches Kellanova's current Cheez-It Original SmartLabel.

The "THEN" list has no source. Cheez-It launched in 1921 (Green & Green, Dayton, Ohio) in a green-and-white box, but the meme's box has garbled logos and a blank label, typical of AI images. We found no historic label listing only three ingredients.

Want snacks with short ingredient lists? Check out Clean Crave: https://cleancravekitchen.com. The Clean Crave app is coming soon on Apple and Android.

Sources

  1. Kellanova SmartLabel (Cheez-It Original) (opens in new tab)
  2. Smithsonian Magazine, "A Brief History of the Cheez-It" (opens in new tab)
  3. FDA rule on TBHQ, 21 CFR 172.185 (opens in new tab)
  4. Cheez-It FAQ (opens in new tab)

We rate claims, not people. If we got something wrong, email [email protected].

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