A Lunchables package is shown on a grocery store shelf in New York on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
Kraft Heinz announced on Tuesday that it has stopped offering its specially designed Lunchables meals in U.S. schools. These meals, which included a pizza option and a turkey, cheddar, and cracker plate, were first introduced at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The company initially promoted them as nutritious, with extra protein and reduced saturated fat and sodium, to meet guidelines for the national free and reduced-price school lunch program.
However, not everyone was supportive. Some nutrition experts and advocacy groups raised concerns, with the Center for Science in the Public Interest questioning the addition of Lunchables to school cafeterias. They worried it could lead families to believe that store-bought Lunchables were equally nutritious.
The scrutiny grew in April when Consumer Reports found that the school-specific Lunchables contained more sodium than their retail versions. They also reported that the commercial varieties had higher lead levels compared to similar products from other brands. Following these findings, Consumer Reports urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban Lunchables and other processed kits from school cafeterias.
Kraft Heinz explained its decision to withdraw from the school market, attributing it to low demand. In a statement, the Pittsburgh-based company said sales of the school-specific Lunchables made up “far less than 1%” of total Lunchables sales last year, calling the impact “negligible.”
"Last year, we introduced two options with higher protein that met school guidelines, and while many administrators were interested, the demand didn’t meet our expectations,” the company shared. “It’s not uncommon for us to experiment with new channels, and we may revisit this in the future.”
Kraft Heinz produces a variety of well-known products, including Capri Sun, Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Grey Poupon mustard, Kool-Aid, and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
