Kraft Heinz is pulling Lunchables from school lunches and removing them from the National School Lunch Program, a win for consumer and health advocacy groups.
The Chicago-based food and beverage company made the announcement on Monday, citing lower-than-expected demand as the reason.
"While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets," Kraft Heinz said in a statement to USA Today.
The company noted that the kits distributed at schools made up only 1% of its sales.
Kraft Heinz joined the NSLP last year, a federally assisted program offering free or reduced-price lunches to lower-income students. Two options of the pre-packed snack kit were offered to schools: Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza.
While the company found the business impact of the deal's poor sales "negligible," many found the decision good news.
Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping consumers make informed decisions by testing products and services, applauded the company's decision and called on the USDA to adopt stricter standards for school meals.
Previous tests conducted by the group found that Lunchables had high levels of sodium, lead, and cadmium. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, too much salt in children's diets could lead to chronic health problems, while exposure to lead may cause brain development problems in kids, the Mayo Clinic said.
"Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu...We’re pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program," Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports director of food policy, said in a statement.
Vani Hari, author, health activist, and content creator, also found the development a "major win for American children everywhere."
Also known as The Food Babe, Hari has been a vocal opponent of food companies using questionable ingredients in food. She has been leading the #CancelKelloggs campaign, asking people to boycott the company's cereals until toxic chemicals are removed from its ingredients.
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