Consumer Reports (CR) has called on USDA to remove certain Lunchables food kits from the National School Lunch Program due to high levels of sodium and heavy metals found in the products.

USDA currently allows two Lunchables kits—Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza—to be served to nearly 30 million children through the National School Lunch Program. To meet the program’s requirements, Kraft Heinz added more whole grains to the crackers and more protein to the Lunchable kits designed for schools, compared to store-bought versions.

CR recently compared the nutritional profiles of two Lunchable kits served in schools and found they have even higher levels of sodium than the kits consumers can buy in the store. CR also tested 12 store-bought versions of Lunchables and similar kits and found several contained relatively high levels of lead and cadmium. All but one also tested positive for phthalates, chemicals found in plastic that have been linked to reproductive problems, diabetes, and certain cancers.

CR tested store-bought Lunchables and similar kits from Armour LunchMakers, Good & Gather, Greenfield Natural Meat Co., and Oscar Mayer and found lead, cadmium, or both in all. Lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children over time, even in small amounts. While none of the kits exceeded any federal limit, five of the 12 tested products would expose someone to 50 percent or more of California’s maximum allowable level for lead or cadmium – currently the most protective standard.

The sodium levels in the store-bought lunch and snack kits CR tested ranged from 460 to 740 milligrams per serving, which is nearly a quarter to half of a child’s daily recommended limit for sodium. CR found that the sodium levels of the Lunchables made for schools, which had a larger portion of meat, are higher than in the store-bought versions. The school version of the Turkey and Cheddar Lunchable for schools contained 930 mg of sodium compared to 740 mg in the store-bought version. Similarly, the Lunchable pizza kit for schools had 700 mg of sodium compared to 510 mg in the store version.

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School food program managers are the unsung heroes of the food service industry. While they oversee the production of breakfasts and lunches for hundreds or thousands of students each day, they also have to meet federal nutrition requirements, stay on top of food safety and food allergy issues, support and motivate their employees, maintain kitchen equipment, and turn out meals that the children will actually eat—and do it all for about $3 per meal.

School cafeterias are widely considered some of the safest, cleanest places to eat. However, when school food safety issues or foodborne illnesses arise, the consequences can be serious: sick students, missed classroom time, and damaged public trust.

Some grocery retailers, restaurants, and food producers are using inexpensive new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology to detect and prevent food safety problems. IIoT technology can do the same for school food safety. It can also help to reduce food waste, save money, and make program oversight more efficient and less stressful for managers.

What Is the Industrial Internet of Things?

In general terms, the IIoT is a secure remote wireless network of battery-powered, inexpensive smart devices that record and send a steady stream of data to a “bridge.” The bridge is a computer that stores and analyzes the sensor data with powerful machine-learning tools. That data analysis helps managers plan more efficiently and respond to problems faster.

For example, an IIoT school food safety network can include remote wireless temperature and humidity sensors placed in coolers, remote wireless vibration sensors near cooler motors to detect mechanical problems and tracking tags on incoming food that show where the food originated, who transported it, the temperature it was kept at in transit, and other important data.
All this data goes to the bridge, where managers can see it on their smartphones and computers. Here are some ways they can use that information.

Real-Time Insight into Freezer and Cooler Operation

Proper food storage temperatures are the cornerstone of food safety. Remote wireless temperature sensors and humidity sensors can alert managers right away if a freezer or cooler is too warm to be safe. That early warning can give staffers time to move food to another cooler or freezer before it risks going bad. Real-time alerts can help prevent the kind of high-profile situation that Seattle-area schools faced in early 2019 when health inspectors found walk-in coolers that were far out of the safe temperature range.

Remote IIoT sensors in school kitchens can also save staff time. With this technology, there’s no need for manual temperature recordings or manual data entry of temperature logs.

Reduce Unplanned Equipment Downtime

IIoT systems can head off unexpected problems with coolers. Remote wireless vibration sensors placed near the motors can detect subtle changes in the way the motors work. These changes can show managers that the equipment needs service.

Over time, as the IIoT system collects and analyzes more vibration data, it can help managers schedule maintenance exactly when it’s needed, rather than on a set schedule. This type of predictive maintenance saves money on unnecessary maintenance calls as well as unplanned equipment outages.

Predict When Food Safety Problems May Arise

The more data a school kitchen’s IIoT system records, the better it can identify patterns and trends. Over time, the system builds a database that can help managers see when certain problems are most likely to happen.

For example, is the cooler temperature consistently out of range early in the morning? Maybe staffers are leaving the door open for too long while they bring out and prep items for the day ahead. On hot days, are the coolers more likely to operate outside the safe temperature range? Knowing what’s causing these problems can help managers solve them.

Equipment monitoring, maintenance management, and trend identification are doable now. There are more IIoT food safety solutions in the works that may help school food programs in the next few years.

Track Incoming Food Items and Know Their Condition on Arrival

FDA announced this year a goal to digitally trace U.S. food from farm to kitchen. Right now, most food storage and transportation records are kept on paper. Real-time digital information from tracking devices will enable faster recalls in case of foodborne illness outbreaks. Some grocers, including Walmart and Hy-Vee, already use RFID tags to monitor products in transit to their stores.

Expect to see more real-time monitoring of the food chain as FDA and entrepreneurs work toward this goal. Among more than 1,600 startups related to farming and the food supply chain, many are focused on tech tools to monitor food freshness and storage conditions in transit from farm or factory to customers.

This technology will be implemented by suppliers, not schools. But school food managers should be aware that it’s in development and may want to ask their suppliers about it.

On-Site Inventory Tracking

Small, inexpensive RFID tags can also monitor the location of packages and pallets of food items on site. This kind of tracking can alert managers to theft. It can also make menu planning more efficient, because it gives managers a clear view of what’s available and what’s running low.

IIoT systems are worth looking into for any school food program, where reducing costs, cutting waste, and increasing safety are priorities. IIoT food safety technology is already helping some retailers, restaurants, and food manufacturers work smarter and safer. It can do the same for schools and the children they serve.

Cece is the founder, president, and CEO of Swift Sensors. Reach him at sam@swiftsensors.com.

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As schools begin reopening their doors to children nationwide, the U.S. government has told a federal judge that states have no power to sue over new rules they say make school meals less healthy.

In a August 26 night court filing, the government said New York, five other states, and Washington, D.C., could not sue based on speculation that changes to the federally funded National School Lunch Program could cause health problems for children and require more spending on treatment.

The government also said the states lacked power to sue under a doctrine known as “parens patriae,” Latin for “parent of the nation,” because it allegedly would not protect children from harm.

“This rule recognizes that a state has no legal interest in protecting its citizens from the federal government, and that only the U.S., not the states, may represent its citizens and ensure their protection under federal law in federal matters,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan said in a filing in the federal court there.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the state coalition, did not immediately respond on August 27 to requests for comment.

New York, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, and the District of Columbia sued Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on April 3 over changes in the school lunch program, which feeds more than 30 million, mostly lower-income children.

The states accused Perdue of acting arbitrarily and capriciously by ignoring dietary guidelines and scientific research when he allowed fewer whole grains and more sodium in meals, easing rules championed by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Among the changes were halving the required amounts of whole grains to be served, giving schools more flexibility to serve foods with refined grains such as noodles and tortillas, and delaying or shelving targets for sodium intake.

Schools were also permitted to serve low-fat chocolate milk, rather than fat-free milk.

Berman called the new rules only “minimum requirements,” and said states remained free to enact stricter requirements.

He also said the states offered no proof that children at 4,100 schools exempted from earlier whole grain rules suffered adverse health consequences.

Excessive sodium intake has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Relatively higher refined grain consumption has been linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

The case is New York et al v. U.S. Department of Agriculture et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 19-02956.

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On April 1, the Trump administration  relaxed some rules aimed at making U.S. school lunches healthier, a move viewed by health advocates as a direct hit on former first lady Michelle Obama’s signature issue.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, in one of his first acts after his Senate confirmation last week, signed a proclamation that postpones sodium reductions, makes it easier to serve foods without whole grains, and allows the return of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milk with fat.

“Certain aspects of the standards have gone too far,” said Perdue, speaking at an elementary school in Virginia.

The change comes as Donald Trump, one of the more fast-food-friendly presidents in recent years, has vowed to slash regulation.

The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was championed by Michelle Obama and became a rallying cry for her critics after it set school lunch maximums for calories, cut sodium and trans fat, and required more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The federally funded U.S. school lunch program, started by President Harry Truman, is overseen by the USDA and feeds more than 30 million, mostly low-income, children.

Healthy lunch proponents expressed the most concern about relaxing efforts to reduce excessive dietary sodium, which is linked to hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

“This will lock in very high levels of sodium in school lunches,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The sodium limit for a high school lunch is now about 1,400 milligrams, or three-fourths of the recommended daily maximum, Wootan said.

Perdue’s proclamation delays plans to reduce that to 1,080 milligrams this school year. The ultimate target is about 740 milligrams in the 2022 school year, Wootan said.

“Federal nutrition programs should provide nutritious food—that’s just good government, not nanny state policies run amok,” said Wootan, who added that many schools have adopted the standards and worked through early problems with ingredient availability and taste.

The School Nutrition Association, which represents both the industry that sells food to schools and cafeteria workers, has lobbied to weaken the rules, particularly with regard to sodium.

Many large food companies are suppliers to the U.S. school lunch program, including Tyson Foods, Cargill, and General Mills. Domino’s Pizza delivers to schools as part of its “Smart Slice” program.

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