What is the deal with Lunchly mould? What happened in a YouTube review

• Lunchly was launched by YouTubers MrBeast, KSI and Logan Paul. 
• It claims to be a ‘healthier’ alternative to Lunchables - or Dairylea Lunchers as they are called in the UK. 
• But one reviewer claims to have discovered what appears to be ‘mould’ in one box. 

Do you remember having Dairylea Lunchers as a kid? Those fun little make your own stack of lunch meats, cheese and crackers kits - that at one point also came with sweet treats. 

Well the popular snack (also known as Lunchables across the pond) has a new rival on the block. Mega-popular YouTubers MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI have combined their respective food and drink brands (Feastables and Prime) to launch a ‘healthier’ alternative for kids. 

Announced last month, Lunchly has started to hit the hands of consumers and it hasn’t all gone to plan. Videos shared on social media and YouTube appear to show mould in cheese for some consumers. 

But what is the deal with Lunchly? Here’s all you need to know: 

So, what is Lunchly? 

Announced in September 2024 by a YouTube superteam of MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI, it was pitched as a healthier alternative to Lunchables (which are called Dairylea Lunchers in the UK). The boxes come with a bottle of Prime, a Feastables bar and then a main - including nacho chips with salsa, the ‘pizza’ and turkey, cheddar cheese and crackers. 

Following the announcement, MrBeast posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Lunchables sells hundreds of millions of units and countless people eat it. Our goal is to give people a better for you alternative to it. Our turkey meal for example is 80 less calories, 60% less sugar, more electrolytes, we use real cheese they use “cheese product” (they can’t call it cheese), higher quality meat, etc.” 

What do you get in a Lunchly? 

Each box of Lunchly comes with something to drink, something to eat and something to treat. For the latter, it is a bottle of Prime and a Feastables chocolate bar. 

So far there are three variations of Lunchly, which are as follows: 

Turkey Stack Ems 

It comes with turkey, cheddar cheese and crackers with Lunchly promising 11g of protein per pack. You also get an Ice Pop Prime drink and a milk chocolate Feastables bar. 

The “Pizza”

This one comes with three pizza crusts plus “sauce, uncured pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella made with real cheese”. Lunchly says it provides 12g of protein per pack and it also comes with a Cherry Freeze Prime drink and a milk crunch Feastables bar. 

Fiesta Nachos 

The third Lunchly option comes with one tray of corn tortilla chips with two dips – a creamy queso blanco made with real cheese and a tangy salsa. For the drink you get a bottle of Strawberry Banana Prime and a milk chocolate Feastables bar. 

The boxes are sold in store and not on the Lunchly website - and it does not yet appear to be available in the UK. 

Are Lunchly healthy? 

Health concerns over Lunchables (Dairylea Lunchers in the UK) have been raised for some time. In fact, in Britain they used to come with a Daim bar and a Capri sun, but this was replaced in by orange juice and yoghurt in 2004 due to growing concerns over childhood obesity. 

Washington Post reported this year (2024) that a report by Consumer Reports found high levels of sodium as well as a ‘high concentration of lead’. And so, launching Lunchly - the trio of YouTube stars behind the product were keen to stress the health benefits. 

On its website, Lunchly lists the ingredients and nutrition facts such as amount of protein, calories and sugar. It also compares its products to Lunchables to show the difference. 

But the actual health benefits of Lunchly have been debated since the announcement. Heathline reported on 20 September that Leah Oladitan, who runs The Child Nutritionist blog, said: “The entrée options — turkey and cheese, pepperoni pizza, or nachos — are all highly processed. Like most processed foods, Lunchly meals provide over 20% of the recommended daily salt intake in just one serving.” 

Defending the product, MrBeast said: “Obviously eating fresh chicken and broccoli is healthier but if someone is going to eat a premade meal like this (which millions of people do thru lunchables) then I think giving them a higher quality version at roughly the same price is a net good imo and why we launched Lunchly. Also as we get economies of scale and can get things cheaper we will be only improving the product more and more.” 

Reviewer ‘finds mould’ in Lunchly box 

YouTuber Rosanna Pansino published a review of two Lunchly boxes - The ‘Pizza’ and Nacho variants - and compared them to Lunchables. However when she opened The ‘Pizza’ box, which she claimed to have “just got from the store” giving the date of October 16, she appeared to find “mould” on the cheese. 

Other clips shared on social media also claim to have found ‘mould’. See the embedded tweet below for more images. 

In a post on her official Twitter account, Rosanna added: “I was filming a video comparing Lunchables to Lunchly and was shocked when I opened ‘The Pizza’ Lunchly. The cheese had MOLD!  

“The expiration date was still 2 months away! I checked online and found at least a dozen other people posting that their Lunchly’s were moldy too.” 

Rosanna Pansino, who specialises in making baking videos, has become a vocal public critic of MrBeast in recent months, amid his summer of turmoil, having previously participated in one of his videos. There’s a really in depth interview with her via NBC News here, for those who would like to know more. 

In a response to the New York Post, a spokesperson for Lunchly addressed the allegations of mould with the following statement: “All Lunchly products go through a stringent review process to ensure the quality and safety of its products. That process consists of multiple inspections and approvals, including that of the USDA, before any product can even leave the manufacturing facility.”

Would you let your kids have Lunchables, Lunchly or other similar products? Share your thoughts by email: [email protected].