Do Lunchables have lead in them? What to know
Are Lunchables, the popular graband-go lunch kit, safe to eat?
A new study from nonprofit group Consumer Reports found “there’s a lot to be concerned about” in the kits, including contaminants such as lead and cadmium.
The report, published Tuesday, April 9, also found the two versions of Lunchables included in the National School Lunch Program – labeled “turkey and cheddar” and “extra cheesy pizza” – contain even more sodium than the “already high-sodium” retail versions.
The consumer group has since petitioned the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove Lunchables from the federal school lunch program.
Tuesday’s report further warned against the over-consumption of any and all Lunchable products.
“We don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products, and they definitely shouldn’t be considered a healthy school lunch,” said Eric Boring, a chemist who led Consumer Report’s testing.
So how concerned should you really be? Here’s everything we know.
Do Lunchables have lead?
In a test of 12 store-bought lunch kits, Consumer Reports found lead, cadmium or both in all the kits. Here’s a look at the 12 the outlet tested.
● Lunchables (3.2-oz turkey and cheddar cracker stackers).
● Lunchables (4.3-ouce pizza with pepperoni).
● Lunchables (4.2-ounce extra cheesy pizza).
● Armour Lunchmakers (2.4-ounce cracker crunchers ham and American).
● Armour Lunchmakers (2.4-ounce cracker crunchers turkey and American).
● Good & Gather (3-ounce uncured ham and cheddar cheese).
● Good & Gather (2.8-ounce smoked turkey and cheddar cheese).
● Greenfield Natural Meat Co. (2.9ounce smoked turkey and cheese).
● Oscar Mayer (3.3-ounce natural honey smoked turkey breast).
● Oscar Mayer (3.3-ounce natural hickory smoked uncured ham).
● P3 (2.3-ounce turkey ham cheddar).
● P3 (2-ounce turkey colby jack almonds).
Because there is no federal limit for heavy metals in food, levels of lead were measured in percentage of California’s daily maximum allowable dose level (MADL). According to the findings, a 3.2-ounce turkey and cheddar Lunchable
contains 74% of California’s level allowed for lead, and a 4.3-ounce pepperoni pizza Lunchable contains 73% of the state’s maximum allowed lead level.
“That’s a relatively high dose of heavy metals, given the small serving sizes of the products,” Boring said.
What are the health risks?
Though scary to hear, the Consumer Reports’ findings do not support that lead found in Lunchables can cause severe health damage after one exposure. The presence of lead and cadmium in food is partly due to the fact they’re naturally found in the environment, the report stated.
Because lead builds up in the body over time, the health risks are “cumulative and come from regular exposure over time,” the report stated.
However, Consumer Reports specified that, even in small amounts, these heavy metals can cause developmental problems in children, as well as hypertension and kidney damage. For adults, built-up lead exposure can cause high blood pressure, reduced sperm count and miscarriages or stillbirth in pregnant women, among other health issues.
Lunchables served at schools are even more unhealthy than retail versions
The Consumer Reports study found two versions of Lunchables served in schools contain even more sodium than the kits sold in stores.
To meet the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program, the report explained, Lunchables bumped up the level of protein in both the turkey and cheddar and the pizza kits, which subsequently boosted sodium levels, too.
The changes added 190 mg of sodium to the turkey and cheddar kit, increasing the 740 mg in the retail version to 930 mg. The same thing happened in the pizza Lunchable, as it went from from 510 mg in the store version to 700 mg of sodium in the school lunch version.
Though the tested sodium levels were all within the range permitted by the Food and Drug Administration, the amount of sodium is significant for such a small amount of food, Consumer Reports said. Depending on a child’s age, the sodium in one Lunchable is nearly a quarter to half of the daily recommended limit.
Consuming too much sodium can increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.
Read the full Consumer Reports study here.