Wausau Pilot & Review
Kraft Heinz Foods is being sued after a report that revealed heavy metal content in Lunchables, a snack popular with children.
The 22-page Lunchables lawsuit was filed in New York on April 17 in the wake of a Consumer Reports exposé that revealed several store-bought lunch and snack kits, including Lunchables, contained far more than California’s maximum allowable daily dose of lead. The case contends that the Lunchables at issue are “entirely worthless” and “unfit for human consumption” given that they contain, or risk containing, lead.
“As recently proven by Consumer Reports, Kraft Heinz’s Lunchables meal kits are contaminated with levels of heavy metals that no reasonable parent would want their children to eat in a single meal,” the suit reads.
“For over 30 years, parents have purchased Lunchables products, trusting them to be a safe and nutritious snack option for their children,” it continues. “That parental trust, as it turns out, was misplaced.”
The proposed class action lawsuit accuses Lunchables maker Kraft Heinz of deceptively and misleadingly labeling and advertising the products to consumers by failing to disclose the presence of lead, a harmful neurotoxin known to cause cognitive deficiencies, mental illness, dementia and hypertension. Lead is not listed on the Lunchables’ main label, nor in the ingredients list, according to court documents.
Per the complaint, the contamination of Lunchables with lead is “particularly egregious” given that the snacks are marketed to be eaten by children.
“[Kraft Heinz] is using a marketing and advertising campaign that omits from the ingredients list that the Products contain lead,” the suit reads. “This omission leads a reasonable consumer to believe they are not purchasing a product with a known neurotoxin when in fact they are purchasing a product contaminated with lead.”
Central to the Lunchables lawsuit is an April 9, 2024, report from Consumer Reports concerning 12 varieties of store-bought lunch and snack kits, including Lunchables, Target’s Good & Gather, Armour LunchMakers, Oscar Mayer, and other brands. Consumer Reports tested the dozen items, some of which are served in school cafeterias, for lead and other heavy metals, phthalates, and sodium, and found generally that “[t]here’s a lot to be concerned about in these kits,” including that a main ingredient in the products, processed meat, has been linked to an increased risk of some cancers.
According to Consumer Reports, testing found lead, cadmium, or both in every lunch and snack kit. The CR report showed at least one type of phthalate in nearly every kit that was tested, and levels of sodium that, depending on a child’s age, amounted to a quarter to a half of the daily recommended limit for sodium.
The bottom line, Consumer Reports stressed, is that “[w]e don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products,” as they’re a far cry from what can be considered a healthy school lunch.
The lawsuit echoes these sentiments and alleges that consumers have been misled since the labeling of Lunchables includes no warning about the inclusion, or even the potential inclusion, of lead. Instead, the Lunchables labels mention only that the snacks are “100% Freshness Guaranteed,” the filing notes.
“Indeed, each of the Products contained more than 69% of the maximum allowable daily dose level for lead established based on California regulations,” the complaint, citing Consumer Reports, says.
Kraft Heinz “strongly disagrees” with the allegations, according to a media statement. Company officials say they will vigorously defend their brand.
Lead exposure is especially dangerous for kids, lawsuit stresses
According to the case, lead is unsafe even at low levels of consumption and has been shown to reduce intelligence and accumulate in the bones and brain, sometimes causing health problems decades down the line.
Children are particularly at risk for adverse effects of lead exposure due to their developing brains and because, in comparison to adults, less lead is stored in the bones and teeth and more is stored in the nervous system, the suit emphasizes.
The case adds that children found to have lead in their blood are recommended to have their levels monitored and potentially undergo treatment, including being fed diets high in iron and calcium and undergoing x-rays or chelation therapy.
Had Kraft Heinz disclosed the presence, or potential presence, of lead in Lunchables, consumers would not have bought the products, or would have paid less for them, the lawsuit claims.
Which Lunchables allegedly contain lead?
According to the case, the following varieties of Lunchables are contaminated with lead:
– Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers;
– Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni; and
– Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza.
Who’s qualified to join the Lunchables lead lawsuit?
The Lunchables lawsuit looks to represent all consumers who bought any of the Lunchables products listed on this page during the applicable statute of limitations period.
I’ve bought Lunchables. Can I sign up for the lawsuit?
If you’ve purchased any of the Lunchables listed on this page, there’s nothing you need to do right now to join, sign up for, add your name to, or qualify for the class action lawsuit. It’s usually only in the event of a class action lawsuit settlement that the people covered by the case, called class members, would need to act. This typically involves filling out and filing a claim form online or by mail.
