10/28/2019

Vending Machine Group's New Plan: More Healthful Options

Consumers are asking for it

The knock on vending machines, long story short, has always been that it’s hard to find anything healthy in them. But this week, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), which represents the vending industry, announced a new initiative to give consumers more healthy choices.

Its “Public Health Commitment” is a plan to increase the share of healthy options in vending machines nationwide from 24 percent to 33 percent over three years—a 40 percent increase in the amount of “better for you” options overall. NAMA teamed with two nutrition advocacy groups, the Partnership for a Healthier America and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, on the new initiative.

“There are nearly 4 million vending machines serving snacks and beverages every day, 24/7, across this country,” NAMA CEO Carla Balakgie said in a news release. “Vending is everywhere consumers work, play, and live, and NAMA regards this initiative as a bold, ambitious, and meaningful step to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier choices.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.