According to a company release, Kraft Heinz made the move in response to social media search monitoring that showed a 500% increase in consumers looking for “Lunchables with fruits and vegetables” in the past year. It exemplifies the Lunchables brand’s broader commitment to improving its nutritional profile and comes on the heels of the launch of two products that specifically meet National School Lunch Program guidelines. The brand also has a continued focus on reducing sodium, sugar and saturated fat within its products, the company said.
Lunchables with Fresh Fruit will carry the Del Monte brand logo (under license from Del Monte Foods Inc.) as well, but it will not launch immediately nationwide, the release notes. It will first make its debut this month in select grocery retailers in the South-Central region of the U.S.
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.
