Kraft Heinz is phasing out Lunchables — pre-packaged boxes of deli meats, cheese and crackers. Program The food group said Tuesday it provides free and subsidized meals to about 30 million low-income schoolchildren.
Consumer Reports praised the move months after the advocacy group the alarm went off Regarding the product, which is popular with children, he said that its tests have found worrying levels of lead and sodium.
“Lunch boxes and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on school lunch menus,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. said On Tuesday. “We are pleased that Heinz Kraft has removed Lunchables from the school lunch program after lower than expected demand from school districts across the country.”
In an October 30 earnings call, Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera called Lunchables a “very important” part of the company's business, while describing the negative publicity regarding the product as “misleading”.
Kraft Heinz changed two of its Lunchables – Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza Lunchables – to qualify for the USDA-run program. According to the company, sales of those two products were less than 1% of Lunchables' total sales, so the impact on business is negligible.
In a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch, Kraft Heinz said demand for Lunchables from school districts across the country does not meet its goals. “Lunchables products are not available in schools this year and we hope to make them available again in the future,” the company said.