Current:Home > FinanceKraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand -ThriveEdge Finance
Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
View
Date:2025-04-15 09:26:31
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.
veryGood! (252)
Related
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Could this cheaper, more climate-friendly perennial rice transform farming?
- Only Kim Kardashian Could Make Wearing a Graphic Tee and Mom Jeans Look Glam
- Less than a quarter of U.S. homes are affordable for the typical buyer, study shows
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Flying toilets! Sobering stats! Poo Guru's debut! Yes, it's time for World Toilet Day
- Texas Officials Have Photos of Flood-Related Oil Spills, but No Record of Any Response
- Today’s Climate: August 17, 2010
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Yes, Color Correction for Your Teeth Is a Thing: Check Out This Product With 6,700+ 5-Star Reviews
Ranking
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Tom Holland Reveals He’s Over One Year Sober
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $250 Crossbody Bag for Just $59
- Prospect of Chinese spy base in Cuba unsettles Washington
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Vaccines used to be apolitical. Now they're a campaign issue
- Arctic Methane Leaks Go Undetected Because Equipment Can’t Handle the Cold
- Feds Pour Millions into Innovative Energy Storage Projects in New York
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Roberta Flack announces she has ALS
Shaquil Barrett's Wife Jordanna Gets Tattoo Honoring Late Daughter After Her Tragic Drowning Death
Unusually Hot Spring Threw Plants, Pollinators Out of Sync in Europe
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Play explicit music at work? That could amount to harassment, court rules
Too many Black babies are dying. Birth workers in Kansas fight to keep them alive
New VA study finds Paxlovid may cut the risk of long COVID