Mondelēz Launches Gluten-Free Ritz as $14 Billion Market Doubles

Mondelēz International starts selling Ritz Gluten Free Crackers this month at Walmart and Albertsons, with nationwide distribution to follow in February. The 8-ounce package carries a suggested retail price of $4.49.

The launch extends Mondelēz's strategy of adapting established brands to specific dietary and lifestyle needs. The company already sells gluten-free versions of Oreo and Chips Ahoy!, and the new Ritz deepens its position in a segment that keeps expanding.

"Our fans have been asking for a gluten free version for years," Olympia Portale, senior director for core crackers and head of savory portfolio strategy at Mondelēz, said in a statement. "RITZ Gluten Free Original crackers deliver the same great taste consumers love in our RITZ Original crackers and contain no artificial colors or flavors."

Why is Mondelēz converting iconic brands?

The gluten-free market is forecast to reach $14 billion by 2032, more than double its 2022 value. Rising diagnoses of celiac disease drive part of that growth, but mainstream consumers who do not have the condition also increasingly buy gluten-free products.

For a manufacturer, converting an iconic brand costs less demand generation than launching an unfamiliar one. A gluten-free Ritz reaches shoppers who previously avoided the product entirely, and Mondelēz now applies that logic across three of its cookie and cracker franchises.

Who else is chasing the same shopper?

The packaged-food sector has moved in the same direction. The Campbell's Company partnered in June with chickpea pasta maker Banza on a gluten-free version of its condensed chicken noodle soup. Kraft Mac & Cheese, Cheez-Its, Cheerios and Quaker oatmeal have all previously launched gluten-free versions of their flagship products.

Campbell's puts the scale of the opportunity in concrete terms. Approximately 30% of the U.S. population actively seeks gluten-free options, according to the company, and the U.S. market is projected to grow at a 9.8% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2033.

What does the rollout mean for retailers?

For Walmart and Albertsons, the exclusive first window gives their snack aisles a differentiated SKU during the holiday entertaining season. Retailers planning shelf resets for February should factor in the national expansion, since gluten-free versions of mainstream brands tend to sit alongside the original rather than in a separate specialty set.

The pricing also matters for placement decisions. At $4.49, the gluten-free box carries a visible premium against conventional Ritz, which tests whether mainstream shoppers will pay it for a brand they already know. Portale's claim that the product matches the taste of Ritz Original, with no artificial colors or flavors, is the argument Mondelēz will ask retailers to make at the shelf.

If the Ritz conversion tracks the performance of gluten-free Oreo, expect Mondelēz to keep mining its core portfolio for the next candidate — the segment's growth curve through 2032 leaves room for several more.