Are Club Crackers Vegan and Cruelty Free? (April, 2024)

Trying to figure out if Club Crackers are vegan can be difficult.

Cracker brands often mask the actual ingredients behind vague terms, such as “natural flavors,” and even when they do give you a full list, they never include how those ingredients were made.

To make sure you are only eating foods that align with your vegan diet and lifestyle, I’ve investigated the ingredients and production processes of Club Crackers.

Here’s what I found.

Are Club Crackers Vegan?

No. Club Crackers are not vegan.

Club Crackers are made of some very basic ingredients: flour, water, oil, salt, and leavening. But the product also contains refined sugar.

Sugar is plant based but is often processed with animal bone char to make it whiter. Unless the sugar is labeled “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” it’s probably not vegan.

Are Club Crackers Cruelty-Free?

Yes! Club Crackers are a cruelty-free product.

Club Crackers are owned by Kellogg’s and they have a strict policy against animal testing. This means that the product itself has not been tested on animals at any point in its development or production. It also doesn’t contain ingredients that are tested on animals, like artificial coloring or flavors.

Animal testing is a gruesome and outdated practice that often leaves innocent animals disfigured, sick, or dead. Unfortunately, it is still legal in many countries.

I’m glad to see that Club Crackers are a cruelty-free product and that Kellogg’s is committed to not harming animals.

What Are Club Crackers Made Of?

Here are the ingredients of Club Crackers:

Enriched flour (whole wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid)
Soybean oil (with TBHQ for freshness)
Sugar
Salt
High fructose corn syrup
Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate)
Corn syrup
Soy lecithin

Let’s break down each ingredient of Club Crackers:

Enriched flour

Enriched wheat flour is a type of processed wheat flour that has been fortified with nutrients. It is made by adding certain vitamins and minerals. This is the main ingredient of Club Cracker and it is vegan.

Whole wheat flour is a type of flour made from grinding whole wheat kernels. It contains all parts of the wheat grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm.

Niacin is a type of vitamin B3 that is often added to flour to help prevent pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency.

Iron is a mineral that is often added to flour to help prevent iron deficiency anemia.

Vitamin B1 is a type of vitamin B that is often added to flour to help prevent beriberi, a disease caused by thiamine deficiency.

Vitamin B2 is a type of vitamin B that is often added to flour to help prevent riboflavin deficiency. It is vegan.

Folic acid is a type of vitamin B that is often added to flour to help prevent neural tube defects in unborn babies. It is vegan.

Soybean oil

Soybean oil is a vegetable oil that is extracted from soybeans. It is often used in cooking and baking. Club Crackers contain soybean oil to help give the crackers a crispy texture. This ingredient is vegan.

Sugar

As mentioned before, sugar is often processed with animal bone char to make it white. Unless the sugar is labeled “raw,” “organic,” or “unrefined,” it’s probably not vegan. The sugar in Club Crackers is not vegan.

Salt

Salt is a vegan ingredient and is used in Club Crackers to add flavor.

High fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a type of corn syrup often used as a sweetener in processed foods. It is vegan.

Leavening

Leavening is a baking term that refers to ingredients that help the dough rise. The leavening in Club Crackers is vegan.

Baking soda is a type of leavening that helps the dough rise.
Sodium acid pyrophosphate is a type of leavening that helps the dough rise.
Monocalcium phosphate is a type of leavening that helps the dough rise.

Corn syrup

Corn syrup is a type of sugar made from corn. It is vegan.

Soy lecithin

Soy lecithin is a type of emulsifier made from soybeans. It is used in Club Crackers to help improve the texture. This ingredient is vegan.

Why Aren’t Club Crackers Vegan?

Club Crackers are not vegan because they contain sugar. Refined sugar is plant-based but is often processed with bone char to achieve its white color.

This ingredient makes Club Crackers unsuitable for vegans. If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to Club Crackers, there are plenty of other vegan crackers on the market that are just as delicious and nutritious as Club Crackers.