Lunchables removed from national school lunch program
CNN
Kraft Heinz is removing its Lunchables meal kits from the national school lunch program, months after Consumer Reports raised concerns about high levels of sodium in the kits.
Lunchables will no longer be on the menu at schools around the United States. Kraft Heinz, the company that produces Lunchables, announced Tuesday that it will remove the meal kits from the National School Lunch Program. The company pulled the product because demand did not reach its targets, but it plans to revisit the idea in the future, according to an emailed statement from Kraft Heinz. The decision comes after Consumer Reports tested the school versions of the grocery store snacks and found high levels of sodium, lead and cadmium. “We’re pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program,” 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 –– a federally assisted program that provides low-cost and free nutritionally balanced lunches to students –– serves nearly 30 million kids, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.