KANSAS CITY — As more consumers seek snacks with clean ingredients, the cracker category is stepping up.

According to the latest Food Business News’ annual Future of Food and Beverage Innovation survey, 64% of respondents consider clean label food products a top priority, up from 53% in 2025. To keep up with this momentum, more food companies have invested in clean label cracker products in the past year.

One company featuring “clean” crackers is Simple Mills. The Chicago-based subsidiary of Flowers Foods, Inc. has offered a portfolio of snack products free from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives since its founding in 2012. But in February, Simple Mills went a step further, earning the Non-UPF Verified Standard. The third-party certification, from The Non-GMO Project, identifies foods made without excessive industrial processing and verifies products primarily made with minimally processed ingredients and without hyper-engineered additives. Simple Mills said 20 of its products, representing approximately 40% of its portfolio, have been approved under the Non-UPF Verified Standard.

“From day one, we set out to make food differently by using stunningly simple ingredients that not only offer exceptional taste and texture but provide meaningful nourishment,” said Katlin Smith, founder of Simple Mills. “Our team has always believed in this vision and led the way in reimagining beloved foods by pioneering the use of unique nutrient-dense nut, seed, vegetable and legume flours that make it easier for consumers to get more from their snacks. We’re thrilled to see the industry establishing a standard that offers consumers the transparency they deserve — and makes it easier for them to choose better options they can feel good about.”

In June, The Campbell’s Co., Camden, NJ, completed the transition away from FD&C colors to naturally sourced colors for the remaining national brands in its portfolio, including Lance crackers. The company said Lance crackers now contain colors made from ingredients such as annatto and purple juice concentrate. Campbell’s already has been using plant-based colors made from beet juice concentrate and paprika in its Goldfish snack crackers for more than 15 years.

Northbrook, Ill.-based Go Raw is another company that has thrown its hat in the clean label ring. Specializing in seed-based snack products, including granola and salad toppers, Go Raw entered the cracker category this summer with the launch of its Snacking Crisps crackers. Made with whole sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as various whole grains (sprouted buckwheat, puffed amaranth and puffed quinoa), the crisps are vegan, USDA organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and certified gluten-free. The crackers contain 6 grams of plant-based protein, 3 to 4 grams of fiber and several key nutrients, such as magnesium and vitamin E.

Snacking Crisps crackers come in four flavors: sea salt, which is salted to highlight the crisps’ toasted crunch and natural flavor; chili crunch, which contains a “bold, fiery kick for a savory-spicy experience”; hot honey, a combination of gold honey and a “subtle chili warmth”; and rosemary and olive oil, which Go Raw describes as a “herbaceous, elevated flavor with aromatic rosemary and smooth olive oil.”

“Most crackers make a simple decision feel harder than it needs to be,” said Maggie Quinn, brand manager of Go Raw. “You flip the bag, scan a wall of ingredients you can’t pronounce and, suddenly, snacking feels like homework. Snacking Crisps are our answer to that. The seeds are right there on the surface — you can see exactly what you’re eating before you even open the bag.”

Parma, Italy-based Barilla Group, primarily known for its pasta portfolio, acquired the Back to Nature brand from B&G Foods in early 2023, and in June 2026, Barilla expanded Back to Nature’s snacking lineup with the launch of two new Cheezy Crackers flavors: White Chedda and Hot & Spicy. Both varieties are plant-based and Non-GMO Project Verified and contain no artificial flavors or synthetic colors.

“Everything we do starts with listening to our fans, and they’ve been loud and clear that they want more Cheezy Crackers,” said Andrea Furber, head of marketing for Back to Nature. “White Chedda and Hot & Spicy are the answer to that. We were pumped to launch exclusively at Sprouts in March, and the response has been incredible so far.”