Kraft Heinz has stopped making its Lunchables available through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
Insufficient demand for the two Lunchables products that Kraft Heinz made last year for the NSLP prompted the company to withdraw them, Kraft Heinz told FOX Business on Wednesday.
“Last year, we brought two NSLP compliant Lunchables options to schools that had increased protein,” Kraft Heinz said. “While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets. This happens occasionally across our brand portfolio, especially as we explore new sales channels. Lunchable products are not available in schools this year and we hope to revisit at a future date.”
The company also noted that “the NSLP compliant Lunchable sales last school year were far less than 1% of overall Lunchable sales, so business impact is negligible.”
“We’re pleased that Kraft Heinz has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program after lower than expected demand from school districts across the country,” Consumer Reports Director of Food Policy Brian Ronholm said in a press release.
“The USDA should maintain stricter eligibility standards for the school lunch programs so that the millions of kids that depend on it get the healthier options they deserve.”
