Lead in Lunchables: Let’s get them off kids’ lunch trays!

[Consumer Reports]   Dear Friend, Lunchables. Maybe you loved them as a kid, or served them to your own kids or grandkids. But Consumer Reports recent tests of Lunchables found high levels of lead and sodium. And Lunchables similar to those we tested are eligible right now to be served to 30 million children in the National School Lunch Program! We don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products. And they definitely shouldn’t be considered a healthy school lunch that can be served to our kids on the daily. Can you help us amp up the pressure on officials to take the necessary steps to get Lunchables off kids’ lunch trays by [signing our petition now]( We’ve got huge momentum from national media coverage of our tests – now we need those who oversee the school lunch program to step up and act! [Sign the Petition](  We tested store-bought Lunchables made by Kraft-Heinz, and similar kits from Armour LunchMakers, Good & Gather, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., and Oscar Mayer. We found lead, cadmium, or both in all, as well as plastic chemical phthalates in every kit we tested (except Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza). And since processed meats, cheese, and crackers/pizza – the mainstay of these kits – are among the highest sodium foods, they took up nearly a quarter to half of a child’s daily limit for sodium. Even in small amounts, lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children. While none of the kits exceeded any federal limit, five of the 12 we tested would expose someone to 50 percent or more of California’s maximum allowable dose level for lead or cadmium – currently the most protective standard. And eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure: about 14 percent of children and teens have prehypertension or hypertension, according to a recent study. The National School Lunch Program allows two Lunchable kits similar to the ones we tested – Turkey & Cheddar and Extra Cheesy Pizza – to be sold to students. We think our kids deserve better![Join us in calling on the USDA to take steps so these products aren’t eligible for the school lunch program.]( [Sign the Petition]( Our [latest tests include important information]( for any parents of young children. Please share this email with them, and urge them to join you in taking action. Meg Bohne Consumer Reports [Unsubscribe from Consumer Reports action alerts.]( © 2022 Consumer Reports, 101 Truman Avenue, Yonkers, NY, 10703 [Contact Consumer Reports](