Latest Breaking News

BumRushDaShow

(142,213 posts) Wed Nov 13, 2024, 05:13 AM Nov 13

Kraft Heinz removes Lunchables from school meals program

Source: CBS News

Updated on: November 12, 2024 / 5:31 PM EST

Kraft Heinz is pulling Lunchables — prepackaged boxes of deli meat, cheese and crackers — from the program that provides free and discounted meals to about 30 million low-income school children, the food conglomerate said on Tuesday.

Consumer Reports applauded the move, months after the advocacy group sounded alarms about the product popular with kids, saying its tests found troubling levels of lead and sodium in them.

"Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu," Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, stated on Tuesday. "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."

In an Oct. 30 earnings call, Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera called Lunchables a "very important" part of the company's business, while noting what he described as "misleading" negative publicity regarding the product. Kraft Heinz changed two of its Lunchables — Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza Lunchables — to qualify for the USDA-run program. Sales of those two products were less than 1% of overall Lunchables sales, so the business impact is negligible, according to the company.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kraft-heinz-lunchables-lead/

Link to USDA National School Lunch Program FACT SHEET (PDF) - https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Kraft Heinz removes Lunchables from school meals program (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Nov 13 OP

Michelle Obama was so right about the school lunch program. I often hated what my school provided all those many hlthe2b Nov 13 #1

I packed a brown bag lunch. With a sandwich, apple and some chips/cookies for all of my school days. Jacson6 Nov 13 #2

Me too. Our school didn't have a cafeteria and we had fun jimfields33 Nov 13 #3

We used to trade sandwiches all the time tinymontgomery Nov 13 #4

Absolutely. Such fun. jimfields33 Nov 13 #5

I was lucky mysitcfairy Nov 13 #6

I was kind of both. OldBaldy1701E Nov 13 #9

It sounds like the Lunchables were withdrawn because schools aren't ordering them FakeNoose Nov 13 #7

Vani Hari, the Food Babe, had a campaign against Lunchables womanofthehills Nov 13 #11

I lived in Amish country when young Farmer-Rick Nov 13 #8

Sorry, had to do it. OldBaldy1701E Nov 13 #10

hlthe2b

(106,328 posts)

1. Michelle Obama was so right about the school lunch program. I often hated what my school provided all those many

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 05:22 AM

Nov 13

years ago, but it was cooked and not pre-packaged garbage. And for that to be what they provide to kids who already are lacking in nutrition at home. Good gawd.

Jacson6

(721 posts)

2. I packed a brown bag lunch. With a sandwich, apple and some chips/cookies for all of my school days.

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #1)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 05:57 AM

Nov 13

Of course, that was 50 years ago and things were cheaper then.

jimfields33

(18,837 posts)

3. Me too. Our school didn't have a cafeteria and we had fun

Reply to Jacson6 (Reply #2)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 06:16 AM

Nov 13

Kids would trade treats sometime and maybe even sandwiches. I feel sorry for kids today. Everyone eats the same crap. Got to embrace conformity.

tinymontgomery

(2,649 posts)

4. We used to trade sandwiches all the time

Reply to jimfields33 (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 06:41 AM

Nov 13

drove my mom crazy, Back in the early 60's and 70's most kids I went to school with brown bagged their lunch.

jimfields33

(18,837 posts)

5. Absolutely. Such fun.

Reply to tinymontgomery (Reply #4)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 08:01 AM

Nov 13

mysitcfairy

(34 posts)

6. I was lucky

Reply to jimfields33 (Reply #3)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 08:07 AM

Nov 13

I lived 3 blocks from school so I went home for lunch. My aunt always had something waiting. My best friend who lived a block away also ate lunch at home so it gave us together time. Occasionally we ate at school, especially on fried chicken day, and it was a treat.

OldBaldy1701E

(6,336 posts)

9. I was kind of both.

Reply to mysitcfairy (Reply #6)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 11:00 AM

Nov 13

I elementary school, just over half brought their own lunch. I did so for a while, then I switched to the cafeteria stuff later on.

Later on, I lived right on the other side of a golf course, hole number 13, which was next to the high school. I went home for lunch my senior year. (The only year I attended that school.)

FakeNoose

(35,657 posts)

7. It sounds like the Lunchables were withdrawn because schools aren't ordering them

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 09:50 AM

Nov 13

This is just profit motive, as in "The Lunchables aren't moving so let's find something else the schools will buy."

womanofthehills

(9,265 posts)

11. Vani Hari, the Food Babe, had a campaign against Lunchables

Reply to FakeNoose (Reply #7)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 11:28 AM

Nov 13

They have lots of artificial ingredients, added sugar & corn syrup, nitrates etc. Basically- not much real or healthy food esp for a child.

Also lots of sodium and a touch of lead. I bought one once and it was gross.

Lead now also being found in the more expensive dark chocolate bars.

Farmer-Rick

(11,398 posts)

8. I lived in Amish country when young

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 09:51 AM

Nov 13

We weren't Amish or Mennonite. But the women worked in the cafeteria. They made the best food. I had to carry my lunch to school. And I always wanted to buy lunch.

Once in awhile, I would use my own money to buy lunch. Especially if they were serving chicken corn chowder. It was the best chicken corn chowder I have ever had. I eventually got their recipe.

Seems the women grew their own saffron and would bring it in and put it in the soup, against regulations. I overheard one woman scolding another for putting "that spice", saffron, in the soup.

That's why they got the nickname the yellow dutch because of cooking with saffron. It made for delicious school lunches.

OldBaldy1701E

(6,336 posts)

10. Sorry, had to do it.

Reply to Farmer-Rick (Reply #8)

Wed Nov 13, 2024, 11:02 AM

Nov 13

Reply to this discussion