Pupils want Healthy Options

School vending machines that dispense healthier products are
popular with pupils and can still be profitable if properly
managed, says new guidance from the Food Standards Agency.

The study showed that children will buy water, fruit juice and
milk products from vending machines if given the choice, and that
good profits can still be made if the scheme is well managed.

Secondary schools earn up to £15,000 a year profit from
drink vending machines, the document says.

One in four English schoolchildren are overweight with sugar
intake well above recommended levels, much of it due to fizzy drink
consumption. Insufficient calcium is another concern, and there is
a big “hole in the market” for manufacturers to develop milk
products, says the guidance. An FSA pilot study into healthier
vending machines found that milk products proved to be “best
sellers”.