Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/11/2024 (665 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Food and beverage manufacturer Kraft Heinz said Tuesday that it no longer is serving the Lunchables meals it created for U.S. schools.
The company introduced the two packaged meals — one starring pizza and the other a turkey, cheddar cheese and cracker plate — at the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year. At the time, Kraft Heinz said the offerings were protein-enriched and contained reduced levels of saturated fat and sodium to meet the requirements of the national free and reduced-price school lunch program.
Nutritionists and advocacy groups were not thrilled by the launch. The Center for Science in the Public Interest called having Lunchables in cafeterias “a highly questionable move for school nutrition” that might confuse families into thinking the versions sold at supermarkets were a healthy option.
The drumbeat quickened in April, when Consumer Reports said its tests showed the school-approved Lunchables contained more sodium than the store varieties. The organization also reported that commercially available Lunchables had more lead compared to ready-made meals made several other companies.
Consumer Reports petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban Lunchables and similar processed meal kits from schools.
In a statement, Pittsburgh-based Kraft Heinz attributed the decision to pull out of the market served by the National School Lunch Program to a lack of demand. The company described the business impact as “negligible,” saying sales of the school-designed meals “were far less than 1% of overall Lunchables sales” during the last academic year.
“Last year, we brought two NSLP compliant Lunchables options to schools that had increased protein. While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets,” the statement said. “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 Kraft Heinz Co. produces a wide range of familiar products, including Capri Sun juice pouches, Oscar Meyer hot dogs, Grey Poupon mustard, Kool-Aid and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
