Lunchables Pulled From US Schools After Nutritional Controversy, Kraft Heinz Cites Lack of Demand

Crackers, cheese, and processed meat: That’s the original Lunchables.

Now, the nostalgic snack is being pulled from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) after a series of reports indicated nutritional concerns, according to AP News.

Lunchables Removed From National School Lunch Program

When two types of Lunchables — Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza — were first added to the NSLP menu in 2023, as CNN reported, the news didn’t exactly sit well with some observers.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest deemed it “a highly questionable move for school nutrition,” particularly highlighting the carcinogenic nature of processed meats and sodium nitrite, as well as broader concerns about the amount of sodium and sugar present in the products.

A later examination of the issue by Consumer Reports built upon these criticisms, indicating that by increasing the meat portion of specific Lunchables in order to meet NSLP guidelines, manufacturer Kraft Heinz also bumped up already-high sodium levels. Beyond that, testing by Consumer Reports found lead and cadmium in the Lunchables kits, though levels were within legal tolerances.

Consumer Reports then petitioned the Department of Agriculture to remove the Lunchables kits from U.S. schools, per AP — a bid that appears to have gained footing.

Kraft Heinz Cites Lack of Demand as Driver for Lunchables Removal From School Menus

Responding to the news that the NSLP would be pulling Lunchables from its offerings, Kraft Heinz indicated that a lack of demand was responsible for the move. The company also went on to dispel concerns about overall sales concerning the Lunchables line of product offerings, and stated that there may be the possibility of reconsideration of the issue in the future.

“Last year, we brought two NSLP compliant Lunchables options to schools that had increased protein,” the company said in a Nov. 12 statement. “While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets. This happens occasionally across our broad portfolio, especially as we explore new sales channels. Lunchables products are not available in schools this year and we hope to revisit at a future date. The NSLP compliant Lunchables sales last school year were far less than 1% of overall Lunchables sales, so business impact is negligible.”

Following the announcement that Lunchables were being removed from U.S. schools operating under the NSLP, Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, stated, “Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu.” Ronholm expanded upon this point while also diplomatically recognizing Kraft Heinz’s stated reason for its withdrawal from the NSLP program.

“We’re pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program after lower than expected demand from school districts across the country. 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,” Ronholm concluded via press release.