Crackers are a popular snack for all ages—and can be found in many households as a quick go-to for everyday eating. And while they may not be the first food that comes to mind when you think of “healthy,” crackers—especially whole-grain crackers—can be part of a nutritious eating pattern and a staple of mindful snacking routines.

Some typical cracker ingredients include flour, baking soda and/or yeast, and oil-based shortening, but a wealth of different varieties with different flavors and ingredients are on the market—including gluten-free crackers (which must not contain wheat, rye, barley, triticale, or related types of grains). But when we enjoy our favorite crackers as part of a satisfying snack, do we think much about how crackers are made, and what processes are part of providing their key characteristics—like their nutrition, shelf-stability, and texture? Read on if you’re curious about cracker creation!

Enrichment and Fortification

Enrichment and fortification are common aspects of food production and processing that are designed to add nutrients to a food. Enrichment typically refers to adding nutrients that have been lost during food handling, processing, or storage back to that food. Fortification, in contrast, generally refers to foods that have had nutrients added to them that are not naturally occurring in that food (like the iodine that is commonly added to salt). Fortification has historically been used to help correct widespread dietary insufficiencies recognized by the scientific community (thus improving the balance of nutrients in consumers’ diets). One of the most widely publicized fortifications of food has been the fortification of several types of flours—including those found in many crackers—and breakfast cereals, which have been fortified with folic acid since 1998 following overwhelming evidence that sufficient folic acid consumption is linked to better health outcomes in pregnant women and children.

Unlike fortified foods, many enriched foods must have specific amounts of certain vitamins added to them to meet official FDA definitions. One well-known enriched food that is a key ingredient in crackers is refined wheat flour, i.e., white flour. Enriched flour must contain specific amounts of B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid) and iron.

Manufacturers typically heed the advice of the Food and Drug Administration before implementing fortification or enrichment plans for foods, and not all foods can have nutrients added to them. As the FDA notes, “The Food and Drug Administration does not encourage indiscriminate addition of nutrients to foods, nor does it consider it appropriate to fortify fresh produce; meat, poultry, or fish products; sugars; or snack foods such as candies and carbonated beverages.”

The Importance of Preservatives

Food preservation is generally defined as any act or addition to a food that inhibits undesired bacterial growth or chemical changes. For shelf-stable snacks such as crackers, preservatives can help with keeping the texture crunchy and defend against spoilage.

A common preservative found in crackers and various other pantry staples is TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), which is utilized to help increase shelf life and reduce the amount of food waste created by food spoilage. You’ll often find TBHQ in foods like crackers, fats and oils, some breads, popcorn, and pre-made frozen meals.

Many people don’t like the idea of preservatives in their food, but manufacturing and regulatory scientists use careful research and testing to determine each preservative’s safety ahead of its being introduced into our food system. A integral part of a preservative being approved includes the FDA’s setting guidelines for 1) the amount that can be safely included in foods and 2) the maximum amount people should consume. The FDA has classified TBHQ as Generally Recognized as Safe, or “GRAS,” and approved its use in foods in 1972. This decision came as pre-made frozen and shelf-stable meals were becoming increasingly popular. Today, manufacturers continue to rely upon TBHQ to keep foods from going bad as they are transported to and stored in freezers, refrigerators, grocery-store and household shelves.

An important additional note about TBHQ: To ensure safe exposure levels, the FDA has also established that a food’s TBHQ content should not account for more than 0.02 percent of its total fat and oil content. For consumers, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) is 0.7 mg/kg body weight. This limit is agreed upon internationally—the European Food Safety Authority confirmed the same ADI in 2004.

Crispy, Crunchy, Flaky …

The texture of a cracker can be just as important as its flavor profile. When you bite into a cracker, you likely expect to hear a familiar crunch and feel a crumbly texture in your mouth. And cracker manufacturers work hard to create the desired texture of your favorite cracker using several types of dough treatments and baking procedures.

The life of a cracker begins with thorough mixing of the dough ingredients, followed by a set time period for the dough to rest. During the resting stage, it’s especially important to maintain a corresponding temperature to help achieve the final texture. Next, the dough is laminated, which means it is repetitively folded over itself to create layers that help build flakiness. Manufacturers arrive at different textures by using specific, distinct lamination techniques. Additional ingredients may also be added at the lamination stage to manipulate the texture further. For instance, for some crackers, shortening or a fat replacer (like inulin) may be added at this step to create especially flaky layers. Next, the dough is put onto a baking sheet and rolled out to the correct thickness. The sheeted dough is then cut into shapes prior to baking. Once the baking is done, the crackers are cooled and sent off to be packaged.

Snacking continues to grow in popularity as one way to achieve our satiety and nutrition goals. With such a variety of great-tasting snack foods—including crackers! —on the market, it can be helpful to know a bit more about how our food is made as we strive to make more informed decisions about what ends up in our shopping carts. Take these insights on the cracker production process with you as you search for your next favorite flavor or texture—and happy snacking!