The vending industry in turn can play its part in giving what the customer needs when he or she wants it. It is a great opportunity for extending product offerings as well as providing a valuable source of ‘good stuff’ by aligning vending ingredients to what is required to promote, adopt and maintain healthy diets. Iestyn Armstrong-Smith looks at the issues.

Consumers are hit with all kinds of information regarding health and nutrition from all sorts of sources; some might blame the deluge on a nanny state worried about health service bills, others would say it is the food companies themselves trying to gain the edge on the competition. Regardless of the source the information is making a difference to people’s purchasing habits - as is said: throw enough mud at the wall and some will stick. In essence the vast majority would agree that being aware of what we put into our bodies is a good thing.

For the vending operator this awareness does present a challenge; but, wherever there is a challenge there is also an opportunity. Indeed for some vending situations the demand for healthy products might be a help in guiding the operator in what to stock and supply.

Some of the important issues to consider include food groups, nutrients, hydration, reducing or eradicating hydrogenated fat, and new discoveries. Vending operators who gain an understanding of these issues will remain at least one step ahead of the game.

Examining food groups

The major food groups comprise grains and bread, fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy and meats (including fish, poultry and eggs). The basic advice for daily consumption is:

• Bread and cereals - one to two slices of wholegrain bread; a small bowl of cereal
• Fruit and vegetables - two items of fruit and three different vegetables (fruit and / or vegetable juice counts as does preserved fruit and vegetables
• Meat - 30 to 45g lean meat/fish/poultry or 1 egg
• Dairy products - one serving is equivalent to 250 ml low fat milk; or 200g low fat yoghurt; or 40g of low fat cheese
• Fat - keep to a minimum
• Fluids - no limit on calorie free fluids between meals

If you take into account the above recommendations and compare them with the ingredients contained in the products you vend the implications are clear. Consumers will offset whatever they eat at regular mealtimes with food and beverages from the vendor. This is where the opportunity lies for vending operators who can assist consumers by providing ingredients that help with healthy eating regimes. For example, people switched on to their five-a-day fruit and vegetables will be looking for products that help them maintain their intake; those supplying fruit juices, snacks and so on will be onto a winner.

Additional nutrients

Health conscious consumers are aware of the need for vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Most people are able to get all the nutrients they need by eating a varied and balanced diet; vending operators take note of how many of these are contained in the items you vend.

Vitamins are essential nutrients that help the body to work properly. We only need small amounts of these. There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Your body needs fat-soluble vitamins every day to work properly. However, you don't need to eat foods containing them every day because the liver and fatty tissues store fat-soluble vitamins until they are needed. Indeed, high quantities of fat-soluble vitamins can be harmful. Fat-soluble vitamins are: A, D, E, and K.

The body does not store water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. This means we have to take them in more frequently. We get rid of excess water-soluble vitamins when we urinate. Generally, they cannot harm us in excess quantities. Water-soluble vitamins are found in fruit, vegetables and grains. Water-soluble vitamins are: B6, B12, C, biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and thiamin.

The body needs small amounts of minerals to work properly. Minerals can be found in varying amounts in a variety of foods such as meat, cereals (including cereal products such as bread), fish, milk and dairy foods, vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit because they are concentrated) and nuts. Minerals help maintain healthy bones and teeth, control our bodily fluids, turn food into energy. Essential minerals are: calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur.

We all need trace elements. These are found in small amounts in a variety of foods such as meat, fish, cereals, milk and dairy foods, vegetables and nuts. Trace elements are: boron, cobalt, copper, chromium, fluoride, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, silicon and zinc.

Hydration

Our bodies comprise 60 to 70% water. We need about 2.5 litres of water a day to keep our systems healthy. However, how many people jump at the chance of pouring bland water into their systems? Much better if we are able to obtain a tasty beverage that can also provide additional benefits from a handy, well-stocked vending machine. Ah but what about caffeine? No one would suggest that we consume nothing but tea and coffee, but let’s not forget that these highly popular beverages also provide antioxidants. Besides, what about the wealth of alternatives that provide a massive choice of drinks that help hydrate our bodies?

What we don’t need

Hydrogenated fats are on the hit list for eradication. Dairy products have been pinpointed but it is the hydrogenated fats that we need to consider. These contain trans fats, which are harmful and have no nutritional benefits. They raise the type of cholesterol in the blood that increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Much processed food contains hydrogenated fat, but manufacturers are beginning to replace these undesirable ingredients with healthier alternatives. Look at the coffee whiteners and milk alternatives you are vending: what do they contain?

A word about superfoods

Superfoods appear on a regular basis. We have all read about the various health-giving properties of teas - leaf, herbal and fruit. These are providing good opportunities for vending. Fruit and vegetables are well known superfoods and there are vendable products that provide these - juices, fruit bars, cereal snacks, etc.

One of the latest items to climb to the top of the superfood list is chocolate. You can hear the cries of joy at this discovery! There is a caveat: chocolate with a high content of cocoa, low fat and little sugar. Before we all run down to the machine and feed it with coins, let’s remind ourselves that chocolate contains a lot of ingredients that are not beneficial. However, reports of quality chocolate containing high amounts of cocoa can lower blood pressure should be music to the vending operators ears. The task is finding the ideal product for vending.

And, now for some examples…

Aimia says the secret of good coffee is in the milk

Aimia states that Milfresh Superior Quality Skimmed Milk tastes almost as good as fresh milk as the product is 100% pure skimmed milk and contains no additives or preservatives. Milfresh Superior Quality Skimmed Milk also provides operators with a healthy alternative as it is HVO-free (No Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils) and virtually fat free.

Martin Armitt, marketing controller for Aimia Foods says: “It’s sometimes easy to forget the importance of such a crucial ingredient when, for example, you consider that two-thirds of a speciality coffee, such as a latte or cappuccino, consists of milk. Yes, the quality of the coffee is important but milk is just as important.”

Dissolving evenly and effectively, Milfresh Superior Granulated Skimmed Milk provides the real taste of milk for delicious tasting teas and speciality coffees. Its free-flowing granules provide exceptional flow without clogging machines.

“One of the simplest and easiest ways to add value to your drinks is to change to skimmed milk. We’ve had fantastic feedback about our Milfresh product and several customers are already looking at upgrading from whiteners to skimmed in order to deliver the ‘premium drink quality’ consumers want,” continued Armitt.

Milfresh Superior Granulated Skimmed Milk is available exclusively from Aimia Foods in 500g packs and can be used in combination with vending systems, table top and bean to cup systems.

TFA-free whitener improves vended hot beverages

Aimia Foods has introduced an innovative range of trans-fatty acid (TFA) free whiteners, providing a welcome opportunity for operators to deliver improved vended hot beverages to the growing number of health-conscious consumers.

The introduction of the industry’s first TFA-free whitener product is a significant development milestone for the vending sector, confirms Martin Armitt, marketing controller for Aimia Foods. “Consumers are exceptionally well informed on issues relating to healthy eating such as TFAs, and they expect the food and drink industry to deliver. By closely tracking market trends and aligning them with our development processes, we have identified an ideal opportunity for operators to introduce a high-value product, at just the right time, when reports in the media regarding trans fats and HVOs become more widespread. Early feedback from our product trials has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Martin.

The TFA-free whitener is available in 10 x 1kg bags exclusively from Aimia Foods.

Keep your customers in the pink

Pago Fruit Juices UK has launched its brand new Pink Grapefruit 100% multifruit juice - with no added sugar. The growing demand for 100% fruit juices here in the UK has seen Pago replace its Grapefruit Nectar drink - which was 50% fruit juice with added sugar - with the new pink grapefruit fruit multifruit juice that fits nicely as one of the recommended five-a-day portions of fresh fruit and vegetables.

“It’s a sharp, crisp drink with more nutrients per calorie than any other 100% fruit juice,” says Pago UK’s MD Tony Harwood. “It’s an excellent replacement for the Grapefruit Nectar and takes our range another step forward again. It’s already being welcomed by our stockists and orders are being taken now for delivery in September.”

The new Pink Grapefruit multifruit juice is a subtle blend of pink grapefruit, grape, apple, lime and guava.

Welch’s join superjuice battle

The increasingly competitive UK fruit juice market will soon welcome new ‘superjuice’ contenders as Welch’s, makers of the UK’s only purple grape juice, launch two new 100% juice flavours.

Purple Grape & Raspberry as well as Purple Grape & Strawberry share the same antioxidant characteristics as Welch’s Purple Grape Juice and all are based on Welch’s own American Concord Grapes.

All three juices have twice the polyphenol capacity and antioxidant power of orange juice and are endorsed by cholesterol charity, Heart UK. There is growing evidence linking antioxidant and polyphenol rich diets with improved long term health.

The launch follows hot on the heels of the success of Welch’s flagship Purple Grape Juice brand. The battle for superiority in the UK juice market escalated when an independent study launched by the University of Glasgow ranked the UK’s 13 most popular fruit juices and juice drinks to determine which was best in terms of overall antioxidant power and the range of polyphenols. Welch’s Purple Grape Juice came out on top with darker juices generally testing better than lighter varieties.

The study has seen sales of Welch’s Purple Grape Juice rise further mirroring the growing market for juices boasting health benefits.

Eurogran launches Le Royal ChocoDark - with extra antioxidants

Eurogran is launching a new innovative chocolate drink for vending with high cocoa content and added natural antioxidants. The new product is developed in close cooperation with the global ingredient supplier Chr. Hansen. Le Royal ChocoDark is a smooth, rich dark chocolate drink from a select blend of cacao beans for just the right balance of taste, aroma and sweetness. The new product has a cocoa content of minimum 27%. As comparison, a regular hot chocolate product has a cocoa content of around 9-15%. To that we add carotenoids from natural palm oil with natural alpha/beta-carotene mixture.

Le Royal ChocoDark was launched at the Eu’Vend exhibition in Cologne, Germany on 20th September. Any further UK sales action from the company will be shaped by response.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---