According to a Consumer Reports report, pre-packaged lunches such as Lunchables contain high levels of lead, cadmium and an endocrine disrupting chemical.
Lunchables consist of cheese, crackers and deli meats. They are highly processed food. Children love these meal kits, and some schools even offer slightly modified versions.
A new analysis from the non-profit Consumer Reports suggests that they may not be the best choice for a snack or lunch.
Consumer Reports examined 12 Lunchables products from Oscar Mayer and Armour LunchMakers as well as Good & Gather, Target, and Greenfield Natural Meat to determine whether they contained sodium and lead. They also tested for other heavy metals such phthalates and chemicals that are used in the manufacture of plastics. The team also tested the school lunch versions.
The California Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL) for lead is 74%. For sodium, it’s 50%.
Five of the twelve food products tested had levels of lead or or cadmium that were 50% or higher than California’s MADL.
Consumer Reports states that while Lunchables Kits only provide a small portion of the calories an 8-year old child needs daily, one kit can bring a child very close to the maximum daily limit for lead.
Each lunch kit, except for Lunchables’ Extra Cheesy pizza, contained phthalates in amounts up to 7,412 micrograms per portion. The phthalates found in plastics can cause a variety of health problems.
Many food manufacturers modify their products’ ingredients to meet the requirements of school lunch programs, for example by adding whole grains or protein.
The team reviewed the nutritional information of Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers, and Extra Cheesy Pizza and found higher sodium levels in school versions than those purchased at stores.
According to Consumer Reports Kraft Heinz (parent company of Lunchables Oscar Mayer and P3) said that “all our foods meet strict standards for safety and lead and cadmium are naturally occurring in the environment, but may be present at low levels in some food products.”
Smithfield Foods, the manufacturer of Armour LunchMakers said that it adheres “to strict programs and policies which promote food safety and high quality at every stage of our value chain.”
Consumer Reports did not receive a response from Target, the maker of Good & Gather Lunch Kits.
To reduce the high sodium content in their snack and lunch kits, Kraft Heinz, Maple Leaf Foods and Greenfield Natural Meat are reducing the salt.
Consumer Reports has petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture in light of the test results. The federal agency is urged to remove Lunchables packaged food kits from the National School Lunch Program, and offer healthier food options for American schoolchildren. The petition had more than 16 000 signatures as of April 11.
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Consumer Reports. Should you pack Lunchables for your kid’s school lunch?
