Keebler’S Crackers Tasty

Since most of you have not witnessed our Reader Food Panel in action, allow me to paint a picture for you.

Take a product, like this week’s sampler: Keebler Harvest Bakery multigrain crackers (“baked bread flavor in a big cracker”).

Our food connoisseurs held up one of the specimens in the air and looked at it from all angles. Then they smelled it. Some poked it. Most took a tiny nibble and slowly - very slowly - chewed while glancing contemplatively into the air as if they were mentally breaking down the ingredients. Then they studied the cracker before taking the second, third and fourth bites.

I watched in amazement, part of me wanting to blurt out, “It’s just a cracker for goodness sake!”, the other part impressed by how seriously they take their jobs.

So now you know that the work of those Keebler elves and all of the other products our panel tests get thorough scrutiny.

About the crackers on hand, most of the panel liked the crunch and whole-grain flavor. The crackers also come in country butter and corn bread flavors.

Keebler’s Harvest Bakery Crackers, Multigrain

Price: $2.99 for a 12-ounce box, 21 two-cracker servings per box.

Nutrition: 70 calories (32 percent fat calories); 80 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste: ****

Value: ***

Comments: “If ever there was a `homemade cracker’ this is it. A nice crunchy, nutty, slightly sweet cracker.” - Tina Johnson

“For crackers, this is about as good as they come. The only way it could be better is if it were a potato chip.” - Mike Connelly