I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Mondelez International announced that gluten-free Ritz crackers in the Original flavor debuted today at Walmart and Albertsons . For now, those two chains are the only places to buy them, although the plans are for the crackers to reach stores nationwide in February 2027.
The food giant noted that gluten-free shoppers have been asking for this product for years. "Gluten-free fans have been asking for Ritz by name for years, and with the right recipe, the brand has finally answered," highlighted the company. The crackers' product was said to feature "no compromise" in taste and have "the same golden-baked, buttery, flaky experience people already love."
Notably, Ritz is following its competitors Cheez-It and Goldfish, who both launched gluten-free versions earlier this year. Mondelez said its gluten-free products are "doing well in the U.S." The company already launched a gluten-free Chips Ahoy! cookie product in 2024.
The Ritz brand has changed hands a few times since Nabisco first sold Ritz crackers in Philadelphia and Baltimore on November 21, 1934, during the Great Depression. It merged with Standard Brands in 1981 to become Nabisco Brands, and in 1985 it joined with R.J. Reynolds to form RJR Nabisco. In 1988, the investment firm KKR bought RJR Nabisco in a record leveraged buyout. Philip Morris bought Nabisco in 2000 and merged it into Kraft Foods. When Kraft split in two in 2012, Ritz went to Mondelez International (MLDZ), where it still situated today.
Mondelex International has a consensus Buy rating with Wall Street analysts and Seeking Alpha analysts. The Seeking Alpha Quant Rating on MDLZ is also at Buy.