Lunchables pulled from national school lunch programs in US

Kraft Heinz cites weak demand for pre-packaged meals amid reports of lead and high sodium in supermarket kits

After offering the pre-packaged meals branded as Lunchables on school menus across the country just last year, Kraft Heinz, the company that makes the popular lunch and snack kits, is removing their products from a federally assisted meal program while citing weak demand.

That development came after a Consumer Reports investigation found lead and high levels of sodium in the supermarket versions of Lunchables, though the ones made available at schools were tailored differently to meet federal nutrition regulations. The fact that the version of Lunchables available at schools used different ingredients to meet federal guidelines triggered warnings that they would not taste the same as the ones sold in stores, meaning they could be off-putting to children.