The lunch menu was introduced in 1988 and has since become one of the most popular meals children take to school. But a recent report from a consumer watchdog group shocked parents across the country with surprising claims that lunchable kits aren't as healthy for kids as previously thought.
The report, released April 9 by Consumer Reports, tested a variety of Lunchables and other brands of children's meal kits. The report concluded that these kits had “potentially concerning levels of heavy metals and phthalates,” including high levels of lead, and were “too high in sodium, particularly for children.” Registered dietitian Amy Keating says that many of them are He said it has to do with the proteins in Lunchables and other kits. Consumer Reports.
Amid concerns about the study, Consumer Reports petitioned the Department of Agriculture to remove Lunchables from school lunch menus. What specifically did the group discover about this iconic snack brand?
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What did the study find?
Consumer Reports tested 12 store-bought lunch kits, including products from Luntables, Armor, Oscar Mayer, and Target's store brand Good & Gather. All of these products were found to contain high levels of lead, but the three Launchables kits tested contained far more lead. The Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers kit contained lead at 74% of the maximum allowable dose level, the Pepperoni Pizza Kit contained 73%, and the Extra Cheese Pizza Kit contained 69% lead. When it comes to sodium, these lunchable kits contain 49%, 45%, and 34% of the U.S. recommended dietary guidelines, respectively. His two versions of Lunchables, produced specifically for school lunch menus, contained even more sodium.
Armor's Cracker Cruncher Ham & American kit contained 67% of the maximum allowable lead, while all other kits tested had at least 10% less lead than all Lunchables kits. was included. Some lead and other metals “occur naturally in the environment, which may be part of the reason for their presence in food,” Consumer Reports said. However, the processing these kits undergo “can also introduce heavy metals and chemicals found in plastics.”
Consumer Reports says that even in small amounts, metals like lead “can cause developmental problems in children as well as high blood pressure, kidney damage, and other health problems in adults.” “Safe blood lead levels in children have not been established,'' he said. This was announced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These kits contain high levels of sodium, leading experts to warn against sodium intake by children.
Nutritionist Maya Ferrer told ABC News that lunch menus don't provide “the nutritious options that we want young learners to have.” Beyond the dangers posed by metals, high sodium levels in kits are “definitely a concern, especially from a young age. The health risks associated with large and chronic intakes of added salt are well-documented. .”
How will this affect school lunches?
Consumer Reports is calling on the USDA to ban Lunchables and similar meal kits from school lunch menus, and on the USDA website users are encouraged to “Do better for your kids' health!” You can sign this petition. A 2023 Washington Post investigation highlighted how companies lobby for processed foods to be included on school menus, and found that Lunchables “are not a healthy option for children and are being used in schools across the country.” “They should not be allowed to be on menus as part of school lunch programs,” Bryan said. Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a press release.
Kraft Heinz, which makes Lunchables, said in a statement to USA Today that the kits are “an excellent source of protein that provides nutrition through meat and cheese.” All of its food products “meet rigorous safety standards, and we happily feed them to our families,” the company said. Additionally, the two Lunchable Kits that Kraft Heinz is producing specifically for school lunch menus “incorporate more protein and whole grains to help kids stay energized throughout the day.” We use a special recipe.
Regarding the petition, the USDA “sets requirements for the overall nutritional content of daily or weekly meals, rather than allowing or prohibiting individual foods,” the agency told NPR. As a result, Consumer Reports reported that lunch menus “must be paired with fruits, vegetables, and milk.”
