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Vending Machines Crumbling Under New Nutritional Standards? No way!

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.