The AVA's new Guide to Good Hygiene Practice has been granted official recognition by the Food Standards Agency (fsa), making it only the third guide to good hygiene practice to be approved by the fsa since the new Food Hygiene Regulations came into force in 2006.

Automatic Retailing (Northern), one of the UK's leading vending suppliers, is now the exclusive UK distributor for the full range of vending machines from Automated Merchandising Systems Inc (AMS).

The sixth Venditalia show (Italy's AVEX) will take place from May 21st - 24th in Milan, at Fieramilanocity. Not surprisingly, the organisers claim that it is the biggest show in vending, both in terms of the exhibition area and in the number of exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.

Leading UK vending services provider Selecta has retained its Investors in People (IIP) quality accreditation status across its UK business.

It is said that vending operators can capitalise on the booming demand for healthier snacks by stocking Jack Link's, the world's best-selling meat snacks brand.

The Vending Corporation has launched the new BevMax 3 bottle and can vendor throughout the UK. The product of a multi million dollar investment, it is said to have been designed to ensure that the BevMax range maintains its position as the world's leading glass front can and bottle vendor.

AVS Supplier of the Year, Westomatic Vending Services, has announced the appointment of Ruth Liley to the new position of National Accounts Manager.

Major soft drinks company, Britvic, has appointed Simon Stewart, former Chief Marketing Officer at EMAP, as its new Marketing Director, responsible for the development and marketing of Britvic's brand portfolio, overseeing the company's brand marketing, category marketing, innovation, insight, corporate affairs and marketing services capabilities.

The well established and popular French vending exhibition, DA Vending Expo, has changed its name for this year's show to Vending PARIS. The dates are October 29th - November 1st and the venue is, as before, Paris-Expo at Porte de Versailles.

National Rejectors, Inc. a leading payment solutions provider to the vending industry, has appointed Nick Norris as UK & Overseas Technical Manager, responsible for technical sales for the UK and overseas markets.

Nestlé UK chose the 02 Arena as the launch pad for what it describes as the biggest confectionery launch of 2008.

Kenco Local Business Service, Leicestershire and Warwickshire, has opened new premises which provide a great new working environment plus a new customer showroom which gives the business a perfect demonstration area for customers and clients.

Kraft Foods Away From Home is to transfer its equipment and servicing operation to the maintenance services specialist, GVS.

This month sees the launch by Coca-Cola of Coke Zone, an innovative on-pack, ‘always-on' rewards programme, aimed at teens and young adults, which will enable consumers to collect points all year round from leading brand packs. The promotion will initially run on all 500ml and 2 litre packs of Coca-Cola, diet-Coke and Coke Zero displaying the unique Coke Zone logo.

Maltesers and Galaxy hot chocolate has expanded its range of drinks with the launch of Maltesers Malty and Galaxy Creamy hot chocolate which are available in 200ml packs.

Leading vending services provider Selecta has been awarded a threeyear contract to provide 24-hour vending to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Under the terms of the deal, Selecta will supply more than 50 hot and cold beverage and snack and confectionery machines offering leading-brand products to visitors, patients and staff at four of the Trust's hospitals - St James's University Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, Chapel Allerton Hospital and Seacroft Hospital.

The Big One is N&W's first extra large high street style coffee vendor, with a unique vending experience, the 12oz paper cup that offers a drink size of 250cc.

Packaging experts Huhtamaki have launched new, bio-coated vending cups.

The ever-increasing demand for sustainable products has led the company to develop its vending range, and the new cup is not only a welcome addition to the existing range of single-use BioWare cups, but is, as with all BioWare products, completely compostable.

Dehydration is a major problem in the UK and is said to be the number one cause of headaches and daytime fatigue. Despite 80 percent of adults in the UK being aware of the government's recommendation to drink two litres of water a day, two-thirds of us are in a permanent state of dehydration.

Popular AVA technical consultant, Mike Saltmarsh, has been appointed Chairman of the European Vending Association's Hygiene Committee, a role in which he will be sponsored by Mars Drinks.

Branded for the UK market as ffinch's Mini Meaty Munchies and distributed by Konect Distribution, these new salami snacks are sold very successfully in vending machines in France, Germany, Holland and Switzerland.

Stroud College in Gloucestershire (SCG) has awarded 7 Day Catering a five year contract to manage the catering and hospitality services at its main campus in Stroud, including vending.

Mat Baker, Country Director of P & G Professional, has taking over the chairmanship of Arena, the hospitality industry's premier networking organisation, from Andy Kemp, who has held tenure for the last three years.

Seaga UK has appointed Rob Kelly in the role of Operations Manager, to play a key role in ensuring that the company's business operations are efficient and effective, in line with Seaga's expanding market share in the UK and Europe. Rob brings over 25 years of engineering and service experience to the team.

Welcome to Between the Lines, a regular new ‘feature', the aim of which is unashamedly to give me space to comment, expound, congratulate, enthuse, review and even (perish the thought!) bleat about things that are going on that have a bearing (however remote, on occasions!) on the great vending industry.

The School Food Trust has been running a public consultation on a Code of Practice which is designed to provide schools with clear guidance on which drinks they should sell. The consultation, which was open to the general public and all those with an interest in school food and children's diet, also had the purpose of clarifying for manufacturers, caterers and vending operators which drinks are most likely to support good nutrition in school children and will provide a clear framework for the development of new products aimed at this market.

It was back to school for Heart of England Fine Foods' (HEFF) Chief Executive, Karen Davies when she met up with pupils at Thomas Adams School in Wem, Shropshire, to find out if a revolutionary new vending machine had scored high marks for its nutritious break and lunchtime food and drink options.

Brakes is offering six fruit and nut snack bags for children which are rich in vitamins and minerals, often low in calories, and ideal for use in vending machines.

The importance of healthy snacks in schools continues to be a major point for discussion, combined with the significant role they can play as a useful extension of the total school food service offering.  As such, snacks formed a major focus in School Foods Trust legislation that has been in place since September.

California Raisins has been active within the schools environment, encouraging children to eat a healthy balanced diet. The company believes that there are two key elements to this - eating the right amount of food depending on how active you are and buiilding a balanced diet, which consists of a range of foods.

Save a Cup recently staged its fifth annual presentation to the industry, at its now regular venue of The Society of Chemical Industry, in London. While it doesn't really seem five years since the first event - in The Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral (surely one of the most innovative venues in the history of the vending industry) - a lot has happened to the organisation since then. This was underlined at the 2008 conference, and augmented with some tantalising additions for the future.

"Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink!" The Ancient Mariner's words are very appropriate when I think about the awful floods we have been experiencing - even as I write.

A free downloadable guide for schools on the use of water coolers has been published by the Health Education Trust. Including contributions from many individuals and organisations from education, public health, the water and water cooler industry and the voluntary sector, it is designed to help ensure that the highest standards possible prevail in the selection, provision, installation and maintenance of water coolers in schools.

Installing a mains-fed drinking water system will boost your green credentials and save you money, says Stephen Charles, managing director of drinking water specialists Vivreau.

Bottled Water has been severely hit by the lack of a summer in 2007 - the wettest summer since 1789. According to Zenith International, consumption of bottled water in the UK stood at 2,255 million litres in 2007 in comparison to a much higher 2275 million litres the year before!

After several months of extensive market testing, AA First has launched the Evolution 35 range of POU and bottled water coolers.

With social responsibility and environmental issues headlining across the globe, the demand for safer, cleaner and greener water provision is the next big thing and one UK manufacturer is already proving ahead of the ‘hydration' game its pioneering point of use water system.

Ebac claims that its new ‘Direct Dispense' pou watercooler is set to revolutionise the pou market.

With sales of Fairtrade products increasing 46 per cent year-on-year (Source: The Fairtrade Foundation 2006), there is no better time for vendors to switch to ethically sourced products such as Cafédirect, the UK's leading Fairtrade hot beverages' brand.

The Kenco Coffee Company has announced the launch of Kenco Pure Costa Rican and Kenco Pure Colombian to its sustainably sourced range of vending products.

As the UK consumer becomes more coffee savvy, we are seeing an increased demand for high quality, premium coffees. Responding to this trend, Douwe Egberts has created the Espresso Collection, a range of premium espresso blends, that are available in 500g or 1kg (apart from the decaffeinated) bags.

With over 15 years' business experience in the UK, Lavazza understands its customers. Quality products and the latest innovations, in line with Italian tradition, have helped to drive the brand forward. 2007 was an excellent year for the brand, with growing interest in its OCS (Office Coffee System) & Vending division, proving that more people are turning to real coffee, especially away from home and particularly at work.

In the competitive vending market, quality product offerings which increase rate of sale and enhance the profit margins are key drivers for operators. Aimia Foods, leading supplier of food and beverage products, offers operators the complete business solution with its Milfresh Superior Granulated Skimmed Milk, the perfect accompaniment to its superior range of coffee vending products.

The recent meeting of the influential Central Bank Cash Machine Group (CBCMG) in London saw a presentation from the World Vending Association on optimising bank note validation from the vending industry's perspective.

Jofemar UK, the UK arm of the Spanish vending machine manufacturer, has improved its BT10 banknote reader with the addition of new software which, it is claimed, puts it among the most reliable bill readers on the market.

Midlands based Cummins-Allison has been supplying the UK vending industry for over 20 years, with its long-established JetSort®. Today there are more JetSort® models available with more standard features and more options than ever.

Global placements of MEI's Cashflow® Series 7000 accelerated through the 500,000 unit barrier in 2007. The product, which was launched just over 3? years ago is now said to be the standard for vending operators around the world.

The year 2006 drew to a close with news from the respected Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20 per cent. However, it also said that taking action would cost just 1 per cent of gross domestic product per year. While it sounds OK, what action must be taken by companies (including, of course, everyone in vending) to bring this about, and can our businesses afford it?

The Worldwide Vending Association (WVA) is under new leadership. Eddie Hicks (pictured), a vastly experienced American vending operator, will lead the global vending organisation for the coming two years. He takes over from Augusto Garulli, who has been the Chairman since 2006.

There are some 3,700,000 food and beverage vending machines in Europe, according to figures published by the European Vending Association. More than 70 per cent provide hot drinks with the remainder offering anything from sandwiches to cold drinks, hot meals and snacks. The machines are operated by around 10,000 companies - mostly SMEs and family-run organisations.

The EVA is launching new web pages on two major issues that are high on the EU (and worldwide) political agenda: health and the protection of the environment.

Ask Charles Trace, of Coffee Point, and he will tell you that Rwanda is an astonishing country - so clean and so friendly that it is easy to forget how much turmoil the country was in just a few years ago. Today, while still poor, the people are very proud, extremely hard working and hospitable. They also produce some of the world's greatest tea as a delegation from Coffee Point discovered during a visit to the Pfunda tea factory.