Lunchables removed from school lunch menus nationwide
FILE - Kraft Heinz pulled its two Lunchables offerings in U.S. K-12 schools after low demand. (Credit: Kraft Heinz)
Lunchables are off the menu at schools nationwide.
Kraft Heinz pulled the product because of low demand after a consumer watchdog report said the meals – which were specially formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the National School Lunch Program – had "relatively high" levels of sodium, cadmium and lead.
Kraft Heinz was not immediately available for comment, but the company said in a statement to Reuters that the school lunchables are "safe and made with quality ingredients." They said the findings from Consumer Reports were unrelated to the decision to stop selling them.
Lunchables launched reformulated versions of their Turkey and Cheddar and Extra Cheesy Pizza boxes in 2023 to sell to school cafeterias around the U.S.
On a recent call with investors, Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera attributed the "negative publicity that we received from that misleading interest group" to a drop in Lunchables sales.
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"Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu," Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement. "The USDA should maintain stricter eligibility standards for the school lunch programs so that the millions of kids that depend on it get the healthier options they deserve."
The National School Lunch Program, established in 1946, provides meals for more than 30 million kids who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches nationwide.