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Kraft Heinz has stopped making its Lunchables available through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
Insufficient demand for the two Lunchables products that Kraft Heinz made last year for the NSLP prompted the company to withdraw them, Kraft Heinz told FOX Business on Wednesday.
“Last year, we brought two NSLP compliant Lunchables options to schools that had increased protein,” Kraft Heinz said. “While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets. This happens occasionally across our brand portfolio, especially as we explore new sales channels. Lunchable products are not available in schools this year and we hope to revisit at a future date.”
The company also noted that “the NSLP compliant Lunchable sales last school year were far less than 1% of overall Lunchable sales, so business impact is negligible.”
“We’re pleased that Kraft Heinz has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program after lower than expected demand from school districts across the country,” Consumer Reports Director of Food Policy Brian Ronholm said in a press release. “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.”
Lunchables, particularly the two higher-protein items that Kraft Heinz made for the NSLP, received attention in the spring following a report from Consumer Reports that argued they shouldn’t be offered in the NSLP. The product was introduced nearly four decades ago.
CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS USDA NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM SHOULD DROP LUNCHABLES
Consumer Reports claimed in April that Lunchables and other prepackaged lunch kits it tested “contained concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals that can lead to serious health problems over time,” such as lead or cadmium. For Lunchables, a comparison of the store-bought and school-geared Lunchables suggested the latter had higher sodium, according to Consumer Reports.
In response to the report, Kraft Heinz previously said that it “stand[s] by the quality and integrity that goes into making” Lunchables and that its products all “meet strict safety standards set by government agencies.” It called the Consumer Reports report “misleading.”
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The company told FOX Business on Wednesday that interest groups did not influence the company’s move to not make its Lunchables available through the NSLP this year, reiterating it was based on demand.