Representative George Miller (D-Calif.) unveiled a $8 billion dollar bill that proposes additional funding for child nutrition over the course of 10 years.

With the promotional support of Food Network star Rachael Ray, the program hopes to improve on the focus of Michelle Obama's energetic campaign called Let's Move. Both will fight against the growing tide of concern over childhood obesity in America.

The slightly overused statistic points to the obesity rates in America; one-third of American children are overweight or obese. The bill proposed by Rep. George Miller is called the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act of 2010.

One main focus of the bill is to develop the standards and guidelines of the Department of Agriculture sets for food sold in vending machines, and in buffet type food lines. It calls for only low-fat milk to be sold in lunch lines as well.

There is a similar measure in the Senate that also accounts for a $4.5 billion dollar increase in funding, and the House bill calls for an extra six cents for each school lunch.

More of the funding includes potentially redesigning cafeterias to encourage healthier choices, and also the provision for grants for breakfast programs and other meal services.

Other food advocates believe that more money will be needed to change the system. With pizza being the primary food choice in schools, the current way simply is not beneficial to health - because of the overabundance of refined sugars and fats. Overall, the federal funding for school lunches seems lackluster, and many think that each meal might need to be increased two-fold in cost to provide better quality food.

If the bill proposed by Rep. George Miller passes, this will be the first time since 1972 that the Congress has added onto the reimbursement rate for school meals.

Many advocates have worked hard for years on end trying to eliminate the overabundance of calories at school cafeterias. Some have worked for over 10 years trying to get whole-milk out of the cafeterias.

But, the bill could be affected by the time-line of the current child nutrition funding. That bill, which sets the funds available to the child nutrition program, will expire on Sept. 30. If a replacement bill isn't passed in its place by that time-frame, an extension will most likely need to be granted on the original bill.

For additional information on the bill proposed by Rep. George Miller please visit Congressman proposes $8 billion for child nutrition on The Washington Post.

by Carl Drummond

Image Courtesy of Environmentalleader.com

Improving on the recent trend of wanting to conserve resources, and encourage a greener environment, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group has recently announced that they will try to curb the amount of waste they output, by recycling up to 80% of it. And the energy efficiency of their vending machines is one concern they are looking at.

How are they going to do this? For one, they will increase the baseline ratio of shipments to gasoline used. By 2015, they'll be able to more effectively ship their products, with a 20% increase in the amount of shipments per gallon of fuel used, and it could be big fuel savings.

They'll also be able to reorganize their energy usage by reducing the amount of plastic required to make their products. By 2011, more than 12 million lbs. of PET-based plastic will be saved from entering the supply line. By engineering a different kind of PET plastic, which is more efficient, they'll save big-time on plastic usage and supply.

They'll work on their manufacturing capabilities too. By improving the energy efficiency in the operations by 10% per gallon of finished product, using the 2009 levels as a baseline figure.

And for vending machines, by 2013, they'll work to replace around 60,000 vending machine with Energy Star rated vending machines that will be around 30% more energy efficient than their predecessors. By 2013, this could result in an energy savings benefit of $7.6 million dollars in electricity costs. And that is equal to around 9,000 cars worth of carbon emissions.

Another effort they are attempting is the ability to save on water usage.  By cutting the 2009 baseline water usage figure by 10% per unit of production, they'll be able to reduce the amount of wasted water resources of the company.

The Redbox has  helped reduce the prevlancy of brick and mortar DVD rental outlets, such as Blockbuster. While not a heavy-handed factor, other influences affected the diminishment of B&M rental stores - most importantly, the Internet and online video streaming, like Netflix.

Redbox DVD rental vending machines have popped up all over the nation, with an estimated 22,000 locations as of the end of 2009. Locations span the range of available spots, such as fast food restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies and other convenience stores.

Believe it or not, Redbox was originally funded by McDonald's Ventures, LLC (a subsidary of McDonald's Corp). And in 2005, Coinstar bought up to 46% of the company, and finally in 2009, Coinstar bought up the rest of the company, which was worth around $170 million dollars.

In 2007, Redbox attained new heights by surpassing big-time player Blockbuster, in number of locations in the United States - they passed 100 million total rentals by 2008.

Needless to say, there are quite a few competitors to Redbox, including Moviecube, DVDXpress, Blockster and more. Overall, DVD rental vending machines occupy 19% of the DVD rental market.

For the future and beyond, Redbox will introduce high definition rentals (blu-ray format) this year, and are testing video game rentals as well.

The facts & figures

• Interactive touch screen
• Robotic system for disk array
• Linked up to the Internet
• DVD selection updated weekly
• Can reserve DVDs online
• Real-time inventory updates
• As of 2007, Redbox DVD rental vending machines averaged almost 50 rentals per day, and $37,457 dollars a year in revenue.

At the core of the vending machine, is its ability to offer convenience to a customer. And many vending machine innovators have laid claim to newer technology that focuses on a more personal experience.

Some of these innovations are highlighted by the introduction of a touch screen LCD. These replace the almost antiquated elements of the older vending machine: the analog style buttons.

Others say that newer touch screen vending machines are flashy, futuristic, and a bit sci-fi. Well, what this speaks to in a larger sense, is the ability of the vending machine to transform and utilize technology to its advantage.

Other advents of vending machine technology include the almost recognizable credit card acceptor. I say almost, because the technology is becoming a fast adaptation to the market. While many consumers are happy with these credit card acceptors, the technology has introduced some frustration in the buying process.

That's where technology has swooped in, once again, to help. Sensors are now being included in the vending machine that ensures a credit card is not charged until the item is released from the machine, clearing up any confusion and frustration of the process. Another sensor device called a vending miser aims to reduce the electricity used by an individual machine by dynamically powering a vending machine, depending on its usage.

Business locations are adapting these newer vending machines into the atmosphere of their stores. Research does point to the fact that consumers are more inept to buying at a location, if it offers some kind of self-service machine, like an automated vending machine. Young shoppers are especially attuned to the idea of self-service machines.

One important idea of vending machines with enhanced technology includes the ability of retail establishments to bridge the gap between brick and mortar stores, and online fronts. They see these newer vending machines as convenient ways to appease customers who may not want the traditional brick and mortar retail experience.

Automated machines offer a kind of efficiency that helps a retail establishment. Many brick and mortar stores depend on their statistics to examine the potential for sales at a certain store. Automated vending machines collect this information automatically and can report on it to a central database.

Automated vending machines have become extensions of technology, and adaptations of innovators who are looking to bridge the gap between the traditional and the future. We will see key technology like touch screen interfaces and automated payment systems improve with maturity, and potentially open up brand new areas of automation never seen before.

What does 6-hour energy promise? "The World's Most Extreme Energy Shot" is their motto.

And their motto delivers, with unbelievable taste, works "blazing" fast and zero sugar - they promise an extreme energy rush, without the "crash" of a sugar high. They have taken the standard energy shot and made it extreme - in terms of energy boost potential.

The energy short market promotes the idea of a "long lasting" energy rush - usually for hours, 5 to 6 for example. The makers of 6-hour energy obviously wanted to compete against the makers of 5-hour energy - in a spark of creative inspiration they took the "extra step" and named it 6-hour energy.

The main promotional wheels behind 6-hour energy is the avocation of "absolutely no sugar crash." Sugar crash they say is when there is a marked increase in blood sugar levels after a quick and overabundant intake of sugar - causing insulin levels of the body to go hyperactive, and eventually causing you to crash and go sleepy.

6-hour energy comes in the flavors Wild Berry and Orange Explosion.

The ingredients follow an extreme list of energy producing combination's: Caffeine, Green tea, Black pepper, Herbal additions, Taurine, and more. This stuff is like rocket fuel for your body.

And the warning label doesn't hide the fact that this stuff is meant for extreme applications - "WARNING: Not intended for use by persons under 18" and "Avoid combining with other sources of caffeine and do not take within 6 hours of bedtime."

Read more: http://www.extremeenergy6hourshot.com/

Vending machine operators are under pressure. Operators are worried that nutritional labeling will drive customers away. The battle between who is right or wrong has been longstanding. It’s a known fact that operators will be required to post nutritional labels on their machines - if they own 20 or more machines.

Who is requiring the nutritional labeling? The federal government. In a wide-sweeping move to change American nutrition – they enacted a rule calling for added nutritional labeling. This applies also applies to the food service industry – if you own a certain amount of restaurants, you must provide nutritional information on the menu.

Over the last few months, the fight has increased. First Lady Michelle Obama now is backed with $1 billion dollars of support. Her campaign focuses on fighting childhood obesity in this country. Added onto this are several states plans to implement a “soda tax.”

Public perception has created a consumer consensus against unhealthy snacking. That’s why vending machine operators are worried. But who should we feel bad about? It’s not the vending machines fault for obesity in America.  And that’s where the problem starts.

It’s hard to reach out to vending customers. After all, vending machines are not human. They don’t communicate well. That’s where vending machine operators come in. Many of us agree that obesity is a problem in America. And campaigns against obesity don’t advocate the elimination of vending machines.

If anything, this increased consensus has discovered a popular market: healthy vending. There’s no need to replace all your vending machines anytime soon. Though, offering a few varieties of snacks shouldn’t hurt your sales. The vending machine industry is a service. So whatever consumers want, they’ll try to deliver. You want a snickers bar on every corner? You’ve got it. You want healthy snacks in every school? You’ve got it!

The vending machine is an empty frame. An operator can deliver on whatever snack product they want. Who decides what they serve? Well, we do of course. For the larger problem of obesity in America? Most recommend consumer education. That’s what Michelle Obama wants to accomplish, at least partially.

Will nutritional labeling requirements hurt sales at a vending machine? Yes. Operators with 20 or more vending machines will have to purchase additional things – like labels for each machine. Will consumers be “driven away” from this change? No. Vending machines are location based. Every location is different. If a consumer wants a candy bar for example, they already know a candy bar isn’t the most healthy option.

Could sales increase? Sure it will, if enough advocacy gets out to people. They will become invested into buying healthier snacks. And that market will explode in popularity – making it better for sales at a vending machine.

In recent months, energy drinks have come under scrutiny regarding their energy additives; and how those can affect the human body, for better or worse. There are two sides to every argument, so here they are: the “pro energy drink” market argues that energy drinks are a safe way to get a vital energy boost, and that the energy additives (ingredients like caffeine, B vitamins, or amino acids) do not place any undo harm on the health of the consumer.

The “anti energy drink” advocates say that the extreme levels of caffeine and other energy substances (taurine, L-carnitine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, B vitamins) work in combination with other health factors to create a dangerous brew of potentially bad health effects. People with heart conditions, pregnant women, hyperactive adults and kids, and a large list of other health factors could possibly be increased with the addition of an energy drink. But the research is not inclusive and more time is needed to understand the total effect of an energy drink and how it plays out with varying health factors.

Others argue that the sector of energy drinks, the so-called “dietary supplement” market is a loosely regulated one. The ingredients in energy drinks are “generally regarded as safe” which obviously places ambiguity among the drinks ingredient list. There is even more ambiguity when it comes to reporting the amount of caffeine one can find in certain energy drinks.

Some energy drink manufacturers throw caffeine into their specialized “energy blends”  and treat them like a sort of “special recipe” which is a bit confusing to the consumer who wants to find out what exactly is in an energy blend; specifically how much of each ingredient is in the drink as well.

Energy drink manufacturers do include labeling on their cans that state there is no need for any excessive intake of the beverage. For example, the Monster energy drink features a label that reads, “Not recommended for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine.”

Doctors are worried that the excessive intake of the energy formulas found in energy drinks could lead to larger health problems like anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, high blood pressure and heart palpitations. Another recurring trend for energy drink consumers is to mix the beverage with alcohol, potentially creating a doubly as effective intoxicating brew that keeps one more alert while they can consume even more alcohol, and that could have damaging circumstances.

The following is a list of common energy drinks and their caffeine contents by comparison to different beverages.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/humannutrition/nutritionnews/Caffeine_Boosts_Energy_and_Sales.htm

The future will tell how the energy drink market is affected by scrutiny. The FDA could begin to impose stricter regulations against energy drink brands. And while the popularity of energy drinks remains steadfast, debates will continue to center on their health impact.

We would like to hear your comments on the matter of energy drinks. Can they negatively affect your health? Should there be stricter regulations called for? Do you have any problems with them? Let us know.

They are working on the “future vending machine” and their future goals are more than just selling soda. The Coke machine in the front lobby of one of their offices looks more like a standalone computer interface than a vending machine: it features a large LCD flat-panel touch screen that interacts with the movement of your fingers; large swirling digital graphics are displayed on the screen itself.

Chris Davey, the manager of Sapient’s Boston office commented on the new futuristic vending machines, “We are already using these machines as a digital network.”

What Sapient hopes to do is create a large network of these digital vending machines: a global network of them, including billboards as well. Sapient has earned a spot on this year’s Global 100, for a top services company.

The company was founded in 1990, and has now grown into a global enterprise, with around 7,052 employees. The company has expanded its firm into a couple different units: global markets, government services, data systems for large government agencies and SapientNitro, which is the advertising force of the company.

Sapient has been experiencing a good amount of growth over the past few years. For example, last year the company’s net income rose by 41% to $88.1 million dollars. Their stock price also performed well; finishing strong by the first quarter of 2010, with an end of the first quarter earnings in 2010 of $1.2 billion dollars.

The company is also working to transition from a technology firm, to a multifaceted enterprise, by aggressively expanding on its traditional advertising reputation and capabilities. Right now, they are striving to provide big ideas, with the technology framework to back them up.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/05/18/science_of_selling/

Sugar: Different? Or Not? Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup worse than any other sweetener, in terms of your health?

High fructose corn syrup is used in just about every food and beverage product out there. And even more so, it is not the only sweetener used. Usually you’ll go down the list of ingredients in your favorite snack or beverage, only to find additional sweeteners like regular corn syrup, glucose, dextrose, and sugar. Sometimes you could find “evaporated cane juice,” which is promoted as a less refined sweetener.

But what has been the issue with high fructose corn syrup? Well, companies got a little greedy when coming up with recipes. And being companies, their number one goal is to reduce costs. With that being said, high fructose corn syrup is used for its affordability and not for anything else. It’s cheaper to put into the product, because of the fact that one of the largest grown crops for cash and consumption in America is corn and corn-based products.

Although don’t let PR firms and corporate interests fool you. Have you ever seen the commercial (paid for by the pro-corn syrup lobbyists) that advocates high fructose corn syrup? It’s getting a bit ridiculous. The thin veil has been pulled away though, as most research now points to the fact that laboratory studies show that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you: it’s that simple.

In response to the research, many snack and beverage companies are simply getting rid of high fructose corn syrup, or at the very least, they are offering alternatives that are sweetened with sugar instead.

Many people may be lost in the confusion over different types of sweeteners. This is what the lobbyists who are paid by the corn syrup producing companies focus on. They know that if they tell you “it’s just like sugar,” then you’ll somehow think that; instead of being reminded by actual evidence that every sweetener has different qualities.

Regular corn syrup is a bit different from the high fructose stuff. However, you can call corn-based syrup a “liquid starch,” if that sound more appealing. Both are based on the starch sugar: glucose, found in common crops like wheat, rice, potatoes, and of course corn. High fructose corn syrup is “enhanced” through an enzyme process that turns up the levels of fructose present in regular corn syrup: making it high fructose. Think of glucose as the “plant sugar” or the sugar that is produced out of a plants own photosynthesis process.  Think of fructose as a “fruit sugar” which is found in berries, melons, honey and some root vegetable crops.

High fructose corn syrup was created as a “super sweetener” hence the name “high fructose.” Regular fructose is around 80% sweeter than honey and around 70% sweeter than regular table sugar (sucrose), with high fructose corn syrup being even more sweet. Think of the regular white table sugar that we all know of as an “organic compound” because sucrose is derived from not a starch, not a laboratory, but from sugar cane, sugar beets, date palm, sorghum, or the sugar maple for example. While all sugars are families of glucose, and fructose, each compound has a different chemical makeup and molecule structure. And every sugar is different in the way we actually derive the final product; the process is different as well.

If you want some statistics on the per-capita high fructose corn syrup consumption in the United States, here it is:  around the year1984, the per-capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was around 40 pounds per-capita, per year. In 2002, this number reached the same levels of the consumption of regular white table sugar: around 60 pounds per-capita, per year. See the graph below.

So what essentially is the problem with this increase in high fructose corn syrup consumption in America? The alarming rate of obesity in America is one primary problem with a diet consisting of too much sugar. You can see by the graph above that the total consumption of white table sugar actually diminished as HFCS grew: which means more people were invested in diets containing HFCS and not sugar. Therefore, this goes to a larger point: a consumer culture that is focused on items such as fast food, frozen foods, or unhealthy snack foods, because all of those contain HFCS instead of white table sugar.

A recent report by Princeton University has research that points to high fructose corn syrup increasing the appetites of laboratory rats; in the end, the rats are obese from the consumption of too much high fructose corn syrup. The rats that were fed regular white table sugar gained significantly less weight than those who were fed the HFCS.  As well, the research points out that long-term consumption of HFCS also can cause “abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen.” As well, it can cause a rise in blood-levels of cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Bart Hoebel, a psychology professor who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction commented, “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese – every single on, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

People with diets that are rich in “convenience foods,” such as fast foods, or frozen foods will be more likely to consume a lot more high-fructose corn syrup. As with everything, what most people recommend is that moderation and a balanced diet take precedence. It must be noted that a diet rich in any sugar, whatever kind it may be, can cause obesity, diabetes and a flurry of other health problems. So reducing your overall intake of sugar could be the first step towards a healthier existence.

by Carl Drummond

]]> http://www.startvendingnow.com/index.php/not-all-sugar-is-created-equal-the-battle-over-high-fructose-corn-syrup/375.html/feed 1 http://www.startvendingnow.com/index.php/gears-of-innovation-vending-technology-revamps-snacking/366.html http://www.startvendingnow.com/index.php/gears-of-innovation-vending-technology-revamps-snacking/366.html#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 15:44:02 +0000 StartVendingNow http://www.startvendingnow.com/?p=366 If you're not clued in yet on the debate of childhood obesity and school vending check out First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign, "Let's Move" (http://www.letsmove.gov). Search Google news for "school vending" while you're at it, for all the relevant and up to date information on what's happening; that should get you caught up.

One fact that we are being continually presented with this year is that 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese in America. This statistic has alarmed many people, including the federal government and (of course) the media. And as many changes have already taken place, many others will as well. First, traditional thinking about what we serve to school children, kids and high-school students has changed. Some places in the United States, such as New York for example, have worked to eliminate sugary soda and high calorie snacks from the available items at school lunch cafeterias and school vending machines.

Overall, it's a struggle for us to change the way we eat, and the way our kids eat. And on the other side of the fence, many people think that changing the way things are done is a bit controlling, or limiting. They value individual choice, and one can pay respect to that. This debate speaks to a larger problem although. We simply have yet to redesign our lifestyles to fit a healthier "generational gap," which is to say that for change to happen, it must happen at the foundation first.

And for the vending machine industry, change can win over fans and consumers. While large snack companies have worked to decrease the calories, salt, sugar and fats in their foods, the vending machine industry has worked to provide these items in technology-driven vending machines. The machines, usually featured with an appealing LCD "touch" interface, are intuitive and deliver on healthy snacks.

This is what we'll see more of in the future of vending; a change from the traditional, to the different approaches of what technology offers. Vending machines are becoming more like an automated computer delivery system, than what they were in the past: the simple "push/pull" mechanical vending machines. Newer vending machines with built-in networking can also report all kinds of nutrition information, and sales statistics to the consumer, and back to the main office. So, what we'll be able to see is "on demand" product and nutrition information for whatever item we choose.

I can remember when the daily occurrence of pizza and potato chips was very traditional at my school. But now, that's taking a back seat. And vending operators and innovators have responded as well. Gone are the traditional snack vending machines filled to the brim with sugary delights and salty wonders. Now they are being replaced with innovative vending solutions such as fresh fruit vending, organic vending, yogurt snacks, and other all-natural items.

You may ask, or question the fact that kids just don't want to give up their coveted snacks. Well, that could be true, but many advocates have noted that by changing attitudes early on in life, can make for a marked increase towards healthier ones later on. It is true that many kids who are overweight early in life, will grow up being overweight, into adulthood.

Technology has spurred a movement towards the healthier generation of school students. In a larger sense, we'll see all kinds of newer innovations coming up that can reform our own ideas about snacking (just for example, PepsiCo has a redesigned salt crystal that offers lower sodium per bite versus the traditional). On the forefront of the vending machine industry is innovation, and on the forefront of the national consensus of American people are healthier attitudes in general.