Vending machine products: reality and fantasy

These vending machines would have to supply food, but the reality is that very often they provide a wide range of range of unhealthy products. And, furthermore, this does not happen only in leisure spaces or in companies, but also in hospitals and health facilities and in educational centers.

What should vending machine products look like?

On July 21, 2010, the consensus document on food in schools was approved. It states that:

"the food supply existing in the vending machines of educational centers must be consistent with the nutritional recommendations for the school-age population, facilitating the adoption of eating habits. However, the products offered at these points of sale frequently contain excessive fats, sugars or salt, making it difficult for boys and girls to have a balanced and, therefore, healthy diet ”.

Following these premises, the following criteria are established:

• A maximum energy value of 200 kilocalories.
• A maximum of 35% of the kilocalories will come from fat. For a serving with less than 200 kilocalories, this equates to a maximum content of 7.8 grams of fat*.
• A maximum of 10% of the kilocalories will come from the Saturated fats. For a 200 kilocalorie serving, this equates to a maximum content of 2.2 grams of saturated fat *.
• Absence of trans fatty acids, except those naturally present in dairy and meat products.
• A maximum of 30% of the kilocalories will come from total sugars. For a 200 kilocalorie serving, this equates to a maximum content of 15 grams of sugars**.
• A maximum of 0.5 g of Salt (0.2 g sodium).
• Will not contain sweeteners artificial.
• They will not contain caffeine or other stimulating substances, except those naturally present in cocoa.

* The limits marked with an asterisk They will not apply to whole milk and yogurts or to nuts without added fat. ** The limits marked with two asterisks They will not apply to fruits and vegetables, whole or minimally processed.

Similarly, there are communities that have prepared specific documents with recommendations on the foods that vending machines in educational centers should contain. Recommending that you avoid products like sugary drinkss and alcoholic, potato chips or snacks, sugary dairy products, pastries or pastries, chocolates, sweets and the like, etc.

The reality of these types of products

A 2015 study found that 94.5% of the products offered in the Madrid institutes observed breached at least one of the nutritional criteria of the aforementioned consensus document and indicated above. And in addition to this, every time we find a machine of this type, wherever it may be, whether it is educational or health centers, we can see with our own eyes that few are the products that meet all the established requirements.

What would a healthy vending machine look like?

For a moment, let's let our imaginations fly… Probably in an ideal world there would be no vending machines, but let's save that for the next dream and, assuming we need vending machines, What would be the ideal vending machine?

To begin with, the ideal machine would contain the fewer packages, packaged products would be within biodegradable containers, and the dispensing mechanism would avoid the fall of the products and that the products are not damaged when dispensing, because as it is to be supposed among the foods that would be sold there would be some delicate ones such as fruit. What would a healthy vending machine contain ?:

• Fruit: whole fruits, with skin, that could be supplied without any packaging and served without having to hit each other before leaving. The smallest or most delicate fruits would be packed in biodegradable containers, even, if possible, reusable. In addition to the typical fruits, it could be valued to include foods such as tomatoes, carrots or avocados if it turns out that it is supplied to people who need to prepare a dish.
• Nuts and seeds: they would be marketed raw or toasted, not fried or salted as we usually find them, and would go in biodegradable bags. We could also have seed bags like sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
• Muffins: There would be different types of bread rolls made with whole wheat flour, which would be carefully served and we could have recycled paper bags to contain them. In an ideal world people would not take them for other uses.
• Dairy products: we could find dairy products such as natural yogurt, kefir or some cheese. Would be products unsweetened and with environmentally friendly packaging.
• Salads with legumes or whole grains: for those who need more than a snack to make a more consistent meal, there would be a variety of salads with corn or pasta or brown rice or legumes.
• Vegetable creamsIf we think of supplying something more similar to a food plate, a container with cold vegetable creams, such as zucchini, leek, etc. it would be a good option.
• To continue dreaming in ideal, there would also be reusable cutlery.

We have dreamed a lot, and not only in terms of food, but the reality is that fulfilling some of the proposed items is not that difficult and it is already beginning to be carried out in some places. But it is still a minority, so we will continue dreaming and raising awareness that a healthier diet is possible. For now we share with you some to follow a healthy and varied diet!

• There are consensus documents and recommendations that seek to establish the content of these machines, in order to avoid being a source of unhealthy products.
• The current reality is that in most cases these characteristics that have been established as recommended for the products that supply this type of machine are not met.
• Ideally these machines should provide us with fruits and other healthy products. In some places this type of offer is already a reality, but they need to cease to be an exception.

Bachelor of Food Science and Technology Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics