KRAFT Heinz has spoken out after axing an iconic snack from school lunchboxes but has been accused of ignoring the real reason behind the move.
Lunchables will no longer be part of the National School Lunch Program, Kraft Heinz has confirmed.
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NSLP which feeds around 29 million schoolchildren in the US every day, aims to ensure that children have consistent access to food.
Two Lunchables kits were included as part of the federal programme, these were the Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers and the Extra Cheesy Pizza meals.
However, despite the excitement of the new additions that came in last year, the company has now pulled it from the programme due to sales.
“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.”
According to the manufacturer, the kits made up less than 1% of Lunchables sales and the “business impact is negligible,” the company said.
“This happens occasionally across our broad portfolio, especially as we explore new sales channels,” Kraft Heinz added in a statement to USA TODAY.
The recent controversy surrounding the snacks means that one organization believes Kraft failed to mention the real reason behind the removal of Lunchables from the NSLP and why sales didn’t meet targets.
Nonprofit group Consumer Reports recently carried out tests on Lunchables meal kits from the NSLP and the conclusions sparked health concerns and calls for their removal from school lunches.
“There’s a lot to be concerned about in these kits,” Amy Keating, a registered dietitian at Consumer Reports said.
“They’re highly processed, and regularly eating processed meat, a main ingredient in many of these products, has been linked to increased risk of some cancers.”
CR’s tests found 74% lead in the Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers and 49% sodium.
The Extra Cheesy Pizza Lunchables had 69% lead and 34% sodium.
“We don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products, and they definitely shouldn’t be considered a healthy school lunch,” Eric Boring, PhD, a CR chemist who led CR’s testing said.
In September, CR and the More Perfect Union called on the Department of Agriculture to remove Lunchables from the school program following the results of these tests.
Now, following the news that Kraft Heinz has pulled them from the program, CR has “applauded” the news and is requesting that the USDA adopt stricter regulations on school lunches.
However, in the CR press release following that from Kraft, the non-profit claimed that the removal came as a direct result of their tests.
“The move comes after tests conducted by CR found that Lunchables and similar lunch kits contained relatively high levels of sodium, lead, and cadmium,” CR said.
It then added that as a result, “demand for the meal kits fell below the company’s expected targets.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Kraft Heinz for comment.
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