Cheez-It is currently owned by Kellanova , the snacking company that was spun off from the original Kellogg Company, and it is produced through its Sunshine Biscuits division. In August 2024, Mars Inc. (the candy and pet food giant) announced a deal to acquire Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-It and other snacks, in a multibillion‑dollar transaction that is expected to close after regulatory review.

Who owns Cheez-It right now?

  • Cheez-It is a brand of baked cheese crackers whose listed owner is Kellanova, which emerged when Kellogg split its cereal and snacking operations into separate companies.
  • The crackers themselves are manufactured under Kellanova’s Sunshine Biscuits arm, continuing the long historical link between Cheez-It and the old Sunshine brand.

What’s happening with Mars and Cheez-It?

  • In August 2024, Mars Inc. agreed to buy Kellanova, the owner of Cheez-It, in a deal valued at roughly 30–36 billion dollars, including debt.
  • The acquisition is expected to close after regulatory approval, at which point Cheez-It would become part of Mars’ global snacking portfolio, alongside brands like M&M’s and Snickers.

Brief brand history

  • Cheez-It dates back to the early 1920s and has passed through multiple corporate parents, including Sunshine Biscuits, Keebler, and then Kellogg before the creation of Kellanova.
  • Kellanova has positioned Cheez-It as one of its core snack brands, with many flavor and format variations helping keep it prominent in the U.S. snack market.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.